hitting bottom

This small phrase is usually used in the context of addiction.  Someone needs to "hit bottom" before finding their way to the top.  In the well known passage in the New Testament we read about a son who wanted his portion of the inheritance now in order to go off and live a life of his own pleasures.  Once the money was squandered and all his friends had left he had to take a lowly job that was both hard and messy just to put something into his stomach.  Scripture uses the phrase, "he came to his senses."  I think they are one and the same concept.

What we do not often hear is that in a parenting situation when a child rebels and insists on living a "wild lifestyle" there is more than one person who needs to hit bottom or come to their senses.  We as parents also need to hit bottom and come to our senses.

This is when we stop enabling, start setting boudaries, stop tolerating behavior we wouldn't tolerate in other situations or relationships, repent of our own sin, humble ourselves before our Heavenly Father and ask for mercy.