Parenting is downright humbling. I feel like each day I am being schooled on how to be a more godly person and to develop more godly character because there is more to live for than just myself in this life. My children are my legacy. I honestly cannot imagine my life without my children. Don't get me wrong, it's hard work being a parent, not to mention how physically and emotionally draining it can be, but it is also coupled with much joy, purpose, and meaning.
Hubby and I have been trying to engage our children in a weekly "family devotional" time on Sundays. I guess the operative word is "trying". It is quite a challenge to get both a 3 year old and 7 year old to sit and focus for more than 15-20 minutes. However, I keep telling myself that we, as parents, should not, at this point, be results-driven, but to try our best on a weekly basis to instill in our children (on their level) simple Biblical truths/lessons which our church also teaches them.
For the past few weeks, we have been talking about what it means to have determination.
Determination is deciding it's worth it to finish what you've started. This was the godly trait we want to teach our children. Along with that, we taught our children (namely our 7 year old) the memory verse from the Bible that goes hand in hand with that:
"
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." from the book of Hebrews (12:1).
The highlight of our family devotional time together was when we allowed the girls to run a "pretend" race on the first floor of our home. They have so much energy so it was a perfect tie-in, and we stressed the importance of finishing the race and not coming in first. This is a lesson that my older child consistently needs reinforcement in learning. We also taught them that everyone's "race" is unique and different in life since God has designed or marked out a plan for each one of us and that we need to live our lives trying our best to honor His plan for us by learning to be more like Jesus.
This family time has personally been time well-spent despite the sacrifice of some planning time and not being able to get as many things (such as chores) done on the weekend. It has given me a focus and more clarity on how to live the Christian life...Will I run the race God has marked out for me as wife, mother, and teacher in such a way that will honor and glorify His name? Do my heart, thoughts, actions, and behaviors reflect those of someone who is a Christ-follower?
Through my recent musings, I have learned that I need to surrender to God and embrace His plan for me. I never relied on Him more since I became a parent. I know that I need to develop more trust and faith in Him. Believe me, this is not a piece of cake or a stroll in the park for someone who is a bit of a control-freak and who has a Type-A personality. It's scary to release control over things especially when it comes to caring for your children. However, I know that I am not going to get through this life as a parent if I don't realize that He is ultimately the One in control and I need to hand over everything (all my worries, fears, etc.) to Him and know that he is Father to all.
