When I agreed to speak (somewhat reluctantly, at first), the passage that God seemed to impress on my heart was Titus 2:4: "Older women, train the younger women to...love their children." Funny....because I was married at 19, I've long viewed myself as a younger woman desperately need of older, wiser women in my life; women who are setting the pace and gladly embracing their role as wife and mama. While I still do need wiser, older women speaking truth into my life, the fact remains that I, too, *gulp* am an older woman. And God admonishes me to speak truth into the hearts of younger women.
Apparently, loving our husbands and children doesn't come as naturally as we might think, or God wouldn't have included this instruction in His Word. It is a learned response; a working of the Holy Spirit and a willing obedience that gladly embraces God's call. But what does it look like? I'm going to be sharing some practical ways to embrace and make the most of each moment of motherhood; to discover joy in our current season without wishing it away. That's not to say I've done it all right. Much of what I'll share are lessons I've learned (and am still learning) the hard way, through failure and missed opportunities. I'm so thankful for the grace and mercy of a loving heavenly Father.
The last thing I want to do is give you another to-do list. We all know that we have enough of those, and my heart is not to put any additional pressure on any one of us. I do, in fact, want there to be balance. I want us to be awestruck and sobered by the monumental task ahead of us in loving and shepherding the hearts of our kids. And I want us to be incredibly relieved that Jesus says to us as he said to Martha, "Only one thing is necessary. Sit at my feet. Be still before me. Learn from me."
One of my favorite authors, a wise woman by the name of Elizabeth George, once said, "You can't impart what you don't possess." And the same is true as we pour into and shepherd the hearts of our little ones. Unless we've been filled and changed by the holy God of the universe, we've got nothing lasting to give them. And so before anything else, we need to get alone with our Father God each day. It might--in fact, it will likely---mean sacrifice. It might mean getting up earlier in the morning. It might mean foregoing our cherished facebook fix. It might mean letting those dirty dishes sit in the sink till later. But it's needed. It's crucial. We must allow our heavenly Father to teach us and convict us and conform us to His image. Only then can we begin to love and nurture our children as He designed.
Once we've met with Him and allowed Him to fill us, these other things are the natural overflow. It's not a matter of trying harder. It comes down to our Father God's love flowing through us. We're filled to be spilled. And as we're filled, these things will be true of us:
[Praying for our kids] Jesus said in Matthew that it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God. When the disciples heard it, they said, "Who then can be saved?" Jesus replied in Matthew 19:26:
"With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
You and I are raising rich kids to be kingdom-minded. The task before us is daunting. And it's impossible without God. We need to be praying for our kids: giving them up to the Lord, praying for their greatest need of salvation. We must be praying for character, their natural, sinful bents, their hunger for God. If we don't pray for them, who will? As we pray for our kids, God draws them ever deeper into our hearts.
[to be continued...]
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