It is amazing how your perspective changes when you have a child. Just over 4 years ago we had our first and it definitely changed how we did everything. You change your eating habits, sleep habits and even your social habits. It seems easier to say no to those opportunities to go out and do something that would take you away from spending time with your newborn and family. We were 13 years into our marriage when our daughter came along and as you can imagine there were a lot of habits that had to change. Our entire way of thinking changed about how we handled just about everything. You are now responsible for nurturing that child: Feeding, teaching and loving. The time that is spent in the first stages is the most critical. That is where your child learns the majority of the things they will need to grow even more as they get older. What this experience does for us is it gives us Clarity, Focus and Perspective. We think about things before we act and we consider not only ourselves but the well being of our child in just about every decision we make. This is your blood we are talking about here, and you do everything in your power to protect and make sure that child is safe.
Here we are just a little more than 4 years later and once again, we have been blessed with another child and that entire process while still going on with our first has begun again like it is the first time all over again. Schedules are changing, sleep patterns and the decisions we make down to the simplest are all based on our newborn. Having children has brought me closer to God and has made me realize just how much He really loves me. I could have never imagined I could love one being as much as I do much less two. There is a love like no other for a child and that in itself is a Gift from God. If we just take a moment to really realize the impact and importance of this role we play, we will just begin to see how God loves us and desires us to prosper.
The Word tells us in Proverbs 22:6 (KJV) that if you “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” The Message translation says it as simple as it can be said: “Point your kids in the right direction- when they are old they won’t be lost.” There are two wonderful things that happen when you follow this proverb. Not only are you teaching your kids the right way to live, but you are living the way you are teaching. One thing to point out in this scripture…. It does not “ask”, it “Instructs “us to do this simple task. If you want your children to live a life of promise, then we must teach them the Word of God and as they grow in their relationship with God, they will be able to face situations and make the right decisions. This is a Win/Win for us and them. If we are doing what Proverbs 22:6 instructs us to do then we along with our children are walking as we should according to the Word of God. That delights the Lord! Psalms 147:11(KJV) says “the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. The Message version puts it like this: “Those who fear God get God’s attention; they can depend on his strength.” Fear of the Lord is having a feeling of reverence (respect) towards God, combined with awe (admiration) and fear of the punishment of disobedience. When I was young, I feared my father. I knew my father loved me and I loved my father, but I also feared my father because I knew if I disobeyed him, he would punish me. Having fear towards our Heavenly Father is similar.
I have accepted the challenge and will do my part to teach and train my children in the Word of God so that they may grow into the Children of God they are designed to be. It is never too late to start.
Can I Get A Witness?
K
