Children, they are the light of the future and the ones who will carry us into the next generation. Psalm 127 calls them arrows in a warrior’s hand. Psalm 128 says they will be like olive shoots around our table. Oh, how I love those scriptures! They beautifully display the power of family.
Sadly, all we have to do is watch the news for a moment in today’s world to see how desperately our children need something.
Never, especially in America, have we seen such devastation in the news wrought by children. Why? What are they missing?
We know that often when our children act out of line they are simply responding out of their own hurt, or the lack of something satisfying their soul.
We try to fill their void and occupy their time with material items. We mistake their negative behavior and label them a troubled child. Truly, what they really need can’t be bought; it requires something of us that goes beyond money. They need US!
“And, you fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Eph 6:4 Children want nothing more than to be with their parents. 80% of prison inmates were once in foster care, or parentless. Wow! That is shocking, yet shows us that the lack of being with a parent provokes children to wrath.
Will that require sacrifice? Absolutely. You are hearing from someone who has laid down quite a bit to be present in her children’s life. I determined a long time ago that I wasn’t going to be one of those mamas who wasn’t present or who didn’t have good quality time her family. Has is been worth it? I stand in awe of who my boys are becoming every day!
Did I have to lay my dreams down? After 10 years of traveling and then stopping to have my children, I can say, “No! God’s plans are always so much higher than mine.” I’ve learned that there are times & seasons in God. “To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven.” Ecc 3:1 What I learned is that this season will make the next season more wonderful than I could have dreamed!
We’ve all heard that we become like the 5 people we are around the most. If the top 5 people our children spend their time with are caretakers, baby sisters, school administration, neighbors & friends, what do we expect them to become. Certainly, not us!
I want their number one presence on two feet to be me!
My Evan, age 9, always has to walk me to the car and open the door for me whenever I leave the house. He then will stand and watch me drive all the way down the driveway, which is quite long. I know his little heart sinks to see me go, even just for groceries. Sadly, there are hearts of children that live in a sunken spot. It’s no wonder there is such lack in their souls and unwanted actions.
Time goes by so quickly, the short time we have with our children will never be replaced. Down the road there waits more “alone time” than we probably will ever need.
So, what do we do? We reprioritize. We evaluate how much of our time they really have. We turn off the TV and we have them turn off the electronics. We say no to some invitations and to too many nightly activities. We make meal times full of easy conversation, not correction time. We say yes to a chat on the porch or a walk around the neighborhood after dinner.
Proverbs 1 teaches us that what they learn from us will crown them with grace and clothe them with honor.
It’s really quite simple; we choose to go against the status quo and to give our time to our greatest investment in life… our children.
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