Looking Forward
Once upon a time, there was a young lady, 22 years old. She was sitting with her momma at the kitchen table, discussing some details for her upcoming wedding. This young lady asked her momma what she thought of these flowers and those place cards and this menu. Her momma, wondering where the last 22 years had gone, gave her opinion (when asked), but her mind was somewhere else.18 years earlier, Momma on her knees early one morning:
Heavenly Father, I have so many hopes and dreams for my daughter and son. Their daddy and I feel you are leading us down a path that is different and less traveled, and certainly a way we have not been ourselves. We so desperately want to raise our children to love you wholly, to walk in your Truth, but Lord, how do we do that? We are SO human, and not having an example from our childhood ourselves, what do we do?
Lord, I don't want to mess this up, but there are so many things that I want for my children. I want my daughter to become a godly, modest, gently-spirited woman, but how do I do that?? You know I don't have much experience in this myself, and I am so afraid I will mess her up. And my son, I want him to become a godly, confident, strong man. Where do we begin??
Your Word, Lord? Yes, I know it's Truth, and I know it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. But that's all? What about homeschooling? What about the best church? What about the latest parenting book? Won't all those things help?
Yes Lord, you are right. I have often times made an idol of the latest and greatest method by which to do things. Yes Lord, forgive me for looking other places for the answer before coming to you and your Truth. Yes Lord, you commanded your people to "not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you. Just obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you" and because your Truth is unchanging, I don't need to go anywhere else, do I?
Dear God, I am so grateful to you for my salvation and for the opportunity to raise my children up-- your children, really-- to love you and love others. It's such a big responsibility, Lord, and I get scared. But, Lord, you are ever-faithful, a firm foundation, and our guiding hand. Lord, may we always, always look to you first for the way to go. And Lord, may we always obey your leading, remembering your way is the only way to life with you.
Really, Lord, this is the most important thing we want for our children, anyway. Life with you. Success, happiness, and all the rest are in vain (and not true anyway) if our children's names are not recorded in the Book of Life.
Oh Lord, I love being your daughter, and I love you. I praise your name for my life and all with which you have blessed me. Father, may I never, ever take for granted my salvation in you, and may I always be an example to my children of your grace and mercy.
In Jesus' precious name, I pray. Amen.
"Momma? Momma?" The young lady gently touched her mother's hand. "Are you okay?"
Her momma had tears on her cheeks. Sitting here watching her now grown, godly, modest, gently-spirited daughter reminded her of all the prayers God had answered over the years. Oh sure, there were trials and worries, ups and downs, and a worn out patch of carpet beside her bed where she knelt quite often. But this momma was so grateful for God's goodness and blessings He had given to her and her husband. They learned early to consult God first, and most of the time only Him for all they needed to raise their daughter and son up to love Him and become all that they wanted each of them to be. Sure, they messed up-- a lot, but they were always faithful to God and always trusted the promises He made to them. And, because of God's faithfulness, grace, and mercy, their children became so much more than they ever imagined they would become.
"Yes, honey. I am just fine," Momma says, wiping her tears of joy away and wrapping her arm around her daughter. "Now. What flowers do you want in your bouquet?"
Go to Principled Discovery for the last installment of Home Education Week to see how other parents are looking forward in their homeschools-- and lives.
8 share deep thoughts:
Beautiful prayer. Thank you so much for sharing it...those are the thoughts I have most often. I want her to not have to make the same mistakes I did...and I'm figuring out this godly woman stuff at the same time as her, having come to Christ in adulthood.
I keep thinking I'm going to mess her up. :(
Then she goes and does something completely unexpected, and I think maybe she'll do ok in spite of me.
Beautiful.
Oh my, a tear-jerker first thing in the morning. That was precious. Thanks for sharing.
Now that I have 2 teens and 1 preteen, I find myself more concerned about spiritual issues and my children's character traits. I wish that I had spent more time teaching them to grow as Christians. We're trying to play catch up now. It's never too late to grow closer to Jesus. It's a life long growing experience. But I wish that I had taken it more seriously earlier on. I wish that they had a better Christian foundation in their younger years and that I had been a better example.
OK now I have chills. I have never really thought that far down the road. It's exciting and sad all at the same time, isn't it?
But if these prayers are answered, it will be all joy.
Thanks for sharing!
Wow, Karly. Great writing. Beautiful prayer. It's hard for me to imagine looking ahead like that. I fight it trying to hang on the "the now." You captured what every believing parent desires for his or her children. His Word, and our obedience to it will hopefully bring about what you so eloquently described here.
This was such a beautiful, moving post!
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