Monday Office Hours | 6/9/25

A Teachable Spirit reading group (pt. 6) & a thorny question above loving unlovable people.🌵🌵🌵

A Teachable Spirit—Chapter 6 [‘Learning from Parents’]

As readers of the Low-Level Theologian will know, the Swoboda family has experienced tremendous pain in the past few months. From Quinn’s half-brother’s tragic passing to a significant vocational disruption, we have faced a considerable (and unparalleled) amount of difficulty that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. As we have walked this season, my closest friends have been God-sends. They have regularly checked in on my soul, held me to the fire of Scripture and faith, and given me words of wisdom and kindness that keep me going. Along the way, my mother has shown me abundant care and kindness (👋👋👋 mom!).

Something weird happens in the heart toward your parents as you age. What I’ve noticed within myself is an odd sense of discomfort, feeling as though I should not need motherly care at this point in my life. “I’m fine” becomes the staple sentence of the heart. As a 44-year-old, I suspect we all reach a mythic place in our lives where we think we have transcended the need for a mom, dad, or caretaker who loved us in our most vulnerable moments to come back again in our adult years. Only babies need mother care, our flesh tells us. You should be able to be okay all by yourself.

But could this just be a form of pride?