Category: Parenting

Parenting

Everyday Moments

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When I was a little girl and you asked me what I wanted to be…

When I was a teen dreaming of the coming years…

When I was in college studying for the next exam…

In all those moments and many more, I was praying that someday I’d be a mom. I did not know how many children I wanted – I don’t even think I thought of that part of it. I just wanted to be a mother. To care for little ones. To love them daily. To see the joy in them as they learn new things, discover the world around them. To raise them to know the love of Jesus and help them walk the narrow path he has laid out for them.

Sunflowers in a white antique vase set on a black background with the light flooding the flowers

I saw joy, hope, laughter. I saw memories being made to last a lifetime. I didn’t see heartache, hurts that take time to heal, or the strain of children becoming adults and not staying on that narrow path.

But God… he saw it all. He saw me dreaming of my future. He saw my heart and drew me closer to him as I became a parent and had to lean more into him than I ever had in my life. He knew that as I followed my dream I would become discouraged – by how I reacted to my children, by choices my children would make, BUT he also knew I would find HOPE in him. That when the days were dark and lonely, I would know God was in this with me. That his plan was greater than mine and I needed to trust him… I needed to fully give my children into his care and know he would be with them.

My everyday moments… those seemingly unimportant moments – folding laundry, making dinner, driving the mom taxi – I had to choose to see those as opportunities to serve Him. In those moments I can reflect on each of my children. Pray for them as I fold laundry. Gather around a table to reconnect and share our lives with each other. Talk with them about God and show them how to make him a part of their everyday.

It may be an ordinary life to most that amounts to nothing. But I have lived my dream job for 23 years and counting. I know that by living in those everyday moments – the good ones and the ones that brought me to my knees in prayer, I was serving God. As I loved (and continue to love) them, I was loving God. May my children always know my love for them but that I may reflect the love God has for them more so.

Bible Verse · Parenting · The book of Job

Job… the beginning

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Job has long been my favorite book of the Bible. I have read it many times and have taken notes through each reading. For Christmas, my daughter purchased a study by Christoper Ash called “Trusting God in the Darkness” for me to use to get someone else’s perspective on Job. So far it has been a great study.

Somewhat unrelated to the study, but found because I’m reading through the book carefully, I came across a verse that made me take note.

Job 1:5 says:

…. Job would send and consecrate them {his children}, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” Thus Job did continually.

As a parent I was struck by his actions. Daily he rose and made offerings for his children to cover any sin that they might do. Ouch is what I say to myself.

Do I pray for my children each day bringing them before God? Asking his protection over them… asking Him to guide them to the right choices… to remind them to put on the armor of God? For me, compared to Job, it would be so easy to do this daily act. I do not have to do burnt offerings anymore. I can just take some quiet time and lift each of our children before him.

It seems so easy, but I get so busy. Sure, there are days I do pray for each of them. There are times in our relationship that I pray HARD for them. But daily, to raise and first thing bring my children before him.

Today, I commit to bringing my children before the throne room. I may not know what their day brings, what their needs are, but neither did Job. He continued to do this for them just in case they needed to be forgiven. I can have confidence knowing that God already knows what the day will bring for them and doing my part to lift their names in prayer will keep me focused on knowing they are under his protection.

Parenting

Worship

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As my children begin to spread their wings my life has begun to change. Our oldest is in the Air Force and lives 9 hours away. During the summer the next two in line spend 8 weeks out of the country with Teen Missions leaving our youngest the only one home. I can wallow in my sorrow that my nest is feeling empty or I can find joy in my children following God’s calling to the next thing in their lives, which, let’s face it, I always knew would include them not living at my house.

But on Sunday morning as I sing songs of worship I feel a connection to each of my children. You see, they may not be in church at that moment (because of different time zones, or different church hours), but I know that at some point we are all standing together worshiping the same God and that brings me such joy.

Sure I want my children to be productive adults in the world. Getting a job, helping others, doing what they love… but, most important to me from the day they were born was that they would come to know Christ, choose to follow him, and walk in the ways he has for them. I was able to be there for three of my four children as they accepted Christ… my youngest had to be different, she prayed with an Awana leader. I also watched as they have made this belief of my husband and I’s their own and not just something they do because Mom and Dad do this.

So on Sunday morning if you see me at church with tears streaming down my face, don’t worry about me. I’m just crying grateful tears to my Lord that my children are following in his ways and maybe singing the same song I am. I’m allowing those worship songs to sink into my soul making the words an intimate prayer with my creator and thanking him for shepherding my children as they walk in the path before them. I’m laying them before him as well as myself and my husband thinking of the day we will all stand before him in eternal worship.

Parenting

God Moment

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I love seeing God in action. It can be easy to miss sometimes, especially when we tend to rely on ourselves to fix problems, or we worry endlessly about things.

Today was one of those days. One of our sons was stressing about paying his college bill but also wanting to get his beloved project car (a 1983 Dodge Truck) up and running. He is my kid that walks closely with God… it really is amazing to see. But even he has times where the weight of the world on his young shoulders can push him into the Eeyore stage instead of praising God for what he has.

After spending a few too many hours as Eeyore, and talking with both his Dad and I about life, he left to go to church. I was talking with my husband and found out said son was thinking his college bill for this semester was more than it actually is. To be sure I was correct I signed in to his college account to check my numbers and that was where God was waiting to surprise both my son and I.

There sitting in his account was not one, but two scholarships that neither of us knew about. This, along with his Pell Grant, took his bill down to a only owing 1/3 of what I thought he owned. An amount that he has in his savings ready to cover with money left over.

I called him right away. In hindsight, I think I should have waited until he was home so I could see his face. He was blown away. Literally speechless. And I’m sure praising God tonight as he worships with the praise team.

God is good.

All the time.