Post One: ADHD Grieving the Child I Expected & Embracing the Child I Have
Father, I come to You with honesty. There’s a version of motherhood I imagined… A version that felt easier, smoother, more predictable. And sometimes, I grieve that. I didn’t expect the challenges. The constant redirecting. The emotional highs and lows. The extra patience it takes. And I need You to meet me in that truth. Forgive me if I’ve compared my child to others. Forgive me if I’ve felt frustration where I needed understanding. Forgive me if I’ve quietly wished for “easier.” Today, I release the child I thought I would have. And I receive the child You gave me. Fully. Without resistance. Without comparison. Without disappointment shaping my perspective. You did not make a mistake. My child is not “too much.” My child is not broken. My child is not behind. My child is designed. So give me new eyes. Help me see their wiring, not fight it. Help me understand their mind, not label it. Help me respond with wisdom, not just frustration. If they have ADHD, ODD, AUTISM or process differently teach me how to parent them specifically, not generally. Give me tools. Give me patience. Give me strategy. And Father, heal me too. Heal the exhaustion. Heal the comparison. Heal the quiet grief I didn’t want to admit. Replace it with compassion. Replace it with clarity. Replace it with confidence in how You made my child. I will not parent from disappointment. I will parent from acceptance and intention. My child will not feel like a burden in this home. They will feel seen, understood, and covered. I trust You that everything they need, You will equip me to give. In Jesus’ name, Amen.