{"id":39817,"date":"2013-05-23T11:45:59","date_gmt":"2013-05-23T16:45:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=39817"},"modified":"2013-05-23T11:46:00","modified_gmt":"2013-05-23T16:46:00","slug":"the-mystery-of-parenthood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/05\/the-mystery-of-parenthood\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mystery of Parenthood"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"http:\/\/www.dreamstime.com\/royalty-free-stock-photos-parenthood-concept-image24681298\"<\/a>Fifteen years ago at St. Mary’s in College Station, I walked down the stairs with my then 3 year old son.\u00a0 What happened on those stairs opened my eyes and subsequently my wife’s eyes to the fact that parenthood does more for the parents than it ever does for the children.\u00a0\u00a0 On that stairway, our little boy asked if he could try and walk down the stairs himself.\u00a0 So, I put him down and extended my hand to help.\u00a0 He turned away, immediately starting down the stairs himself.\u00a0 I continually offered my hand step by step.\u00a0 My offer refused every time.\u00a0 10 stairs down, with me hovering over him but not touching him, he lost his balance and began to fall face forward down the stairs.\u00a0 Catching him by the back of the shirt and preventing the fall, I placed him back on the stairs and then offered my hand again, thinking that he certainly would take it now.\u00a0 Now, he knew the danger.\u00a0 Now, he knew that I could help him.\u00a0 We could walk down together.<\/p>\n

Much to my surprise, he refused the hand again.\u00a0 I remember thinking to myself, “Don’t you know what I just did?”; “Don’t you realize that without me you would have a bloody nose and perhaps a broken arm?”;”Don’t you know that I just want to help you?”;”Why would you turn away from that?”.\u00a0 At that moment, as those questions ran through my head, a small voice, not my own, said “Do you know what I’ve done for you?”<\/p>\n

Then, Stephanie and I began the adventure of living the mystery of parenthood.\u00a0 In parenting our children, He parents us.\u00a0 When we teach, He teaches us.\u00a0 When our daughter suffers and we experience the suffering only a parent can experience as we suffer with her, He shares a taste of His suffering with us.\u00a0 When our children do something wonderful, and we experience great joy as a result, He gives us a glimpse into the joy we bring Him when we cooperate with Him – when we take His hand and walk down the stairway of our lives.<\/p>\n

Have you ever experienced this mystery of parenthood?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fifteen years ago at St. Mary’s in College Station, I walked down the stairs with my then 3 year old son.\u00a0 What happened on those stairs opened my eyes and subsequently my wife’s eyes to the fact that parenthood does more for the parents than it ever does for the children.\u00a0\u00a0 On that stairway, our… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":157,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[671],"tags":[55,51,127,50,2890,720,165],"class_list":["post-39817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-column","tag-catholic-2","tag-catholicism","tag-children","tag-faith","tag-family","tag-parenthood","tag-parenting","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":344951,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2017\/01\/holy-name-jesus\/","url_meta":{"origin":39817,"position":0},"title":"Most Holy Name of Jesus","author":"Shawn Rain Chapman","date":"January 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"It is said that one night, St. Teresa of Avila met the Child Jesus on the stairs of her convent. The little One asked her name. She said, \"I am Teresa of Jesus.\" He said, \"Then I am Jesus of Teresa.\" What would Jesus say to you? Is your name\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/painting1-117x190.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":41875,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/10\/pope-francis-and-parenthood\/","url_meta":{"origin":39817,"position":1},"title":"5 Things Pope Francis Can Teach Parents About Parenthood – Part 1 of 6","author":"Trey and Stephanie Cashion","date":"October 9, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Pope Francis has taught us quite a bit about parenthood. \u00a0In word and deed and in just the first six months as \"Papa\", his words and his actions have taught us and can teach any parent something about raising children. \u00a0Today, we'd like to share some of what we've learned\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Column"","block_context":{"text":"Column","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/column\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pope Francis and Holy Spirit","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/Pope-Francis-and-HS-300x221.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":43762,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2014\/02\/four-attitudes-evangelical-parenthood-approachability-part-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":39817,"position":2},"title":"Four Attitudes of Evangelical Parenthood: Approachability – Part 2","author":"Trey and Stephanie Cashion","date":"February 13, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"In order to answer our parental vocation to evangelize our children, Pope Francis says we must be approachable to our kids. \u00a0We must develop and cultivate an attitude of approachability. \u00a0As a parent, you want your children coming to you to ask difficult questions, right?! \u00a0After all, if they don't\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Column"","block_context":{"text":"Column","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/column\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pope Francis","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/8562320076_7962a945e8_o-241x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":43618,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2014\/01\/four-attitudes-evangelical-parenthood\/","url_meta":{"origin":39817,"position":3},"title":"Four Attitudes of Evangelical Parenthood","author":"Trey and Stephanie Cashion","date":"January 30, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Parents are called to evangelize their children - to be evangelical parents. \u00a0Yet, all too frequently many of us fail to answer the call to share the \"Good News\" with them because we never preach the Gospel to our children. \u00a0We leave that to the priest in the Sunday homily\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Column"","block_context":{"text":"Column","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/column\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pope Francis","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/8562320076_7962a945e8_o-241x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":42689,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/12\/pope-francis-teaching-parenthood\/","url_meta":{"origin":39817,"position":4},"title":"Part 5 of 6 – Pope Francis, Teaching, and Parenthood","author":"Trey and Stephanie Cashion","date":"December 5, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"As with previous Popes, Francis teaches. \u00a0It's his job so to speak. \u00a0As parents, we also are called to be the first and primary teachers, the \"first heralds\" of the faith to our children. \u00a0We can learn a great deal about fulfilling that role by watching him do his job.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Column"","block_context":{"text":"Column","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/column\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pope Francis","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/09\/Pope-Francis-010-300x180.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":38066,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/02\/how-to-support-sb-521-put-sexual-education-back-into-parents-hands\/","url_meta":{"origin":39817,"position":5},"title":"How to Support SB 521: Put Sexual Education Back into Parents\u2019 Hands","author":"Martina","date":"February 27, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"UPDATE The House hearing for HB 1057 will be on Tuesday, April 2 at 2:00 p.m. or upon adjournment of the House. This means it could be later than 2 pm. The hearing could go late in the evening. \u00a0 After reading an article about new senate bill 521, the\u00a0Texas\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/157"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39817"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39817\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}