It is rare that I make it through an entire non-fiction book. I'll find something that sounds interesting, dig in quickly, and then move on to the next shiny title before getting too far in. But I'm reading Sissy Goff and David Thomas's new book Capable, and can't put it down.
In their book, Goff and Thomas are sounding an alarm. After 30 years of counseling, they are concerned that (in my words, not exactly theirs) we've come to believe that our kids aren't capable of, well, much of anything without our help... and that simultaneously we don't think we're terribly capable of raising them ourselves.
And if I'm honest, sometimes I believe and act and parent as if both of these things are true. So what do we do with that? Goff and Thomas name four declarations that they then spend the whole book breaking down:
1. Sturdy is better than successful.
2. Healthy is more important than happy.
3. Resilience lasts longer than relief or rescue.
4. Capable has more weight than confident.
In a world that offers more advice about parenting than we can even keep straight, I rarely recommend specific readings. BUT. If you have the brain space in this season, I cannot recommend Capable enough.
If reading isn't an option, they have a whole podcast series here on the new book.
And if you're just trying to sleep for more than an hour and a half at a time at night, know that you are the living definition of "capable" itself. (Here's your invitation to stop reading/scrolling anything and go take a 5 minute nap.)
What a gift that we get to raise the humans God has given us. I hope you know that this is a place we get to do that together. You and all of your imperfections AND capability are welcome here.
See you at church and around town,
Ashley
