Parenting Remix

These last few months have been sort of a parenting epiphany for me.  I have realized more then before how important my job is, and I have somewhat redefined my role.  I have always taken parenting seriously and I have always done my best, BUT I have had some exposure to new people and ideas lately and I must say it has caused me to up my game.....big time.

At first I was discouraged because I felt like perhaps I had "messed up," and felt pretty far behind..but not any more.  Now I am actually challenged and encouraged.  You see we always talked about God a lot at our house.  We always worked on memory verses.  We've always taken our kids to church.  We've always pondered how to handle situations in a God honoring way.  We prayed as a family some.  Randy and I had fairly regular personal quiet times.  We also listened to lots of great podcast and discussed these around our kids.We did a lot right.....BUT we didn't have regular, routine family devotions.  We haven't trained our children to have their own quiet times with the Lord.  We haven't one on one in a systematic way discipled our kids.  Sure we've discipled them by example and by words some, but not in a thought out way.  More sporadically....hope they catch it.....they are saturated in it way.

"What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?"
or as my Pastor paraphrases it,
 "What does it profit a child if we give them the whole world and they lose their soul?"
 Wow! 

What is more important in our role as parents then training them up in the way they should go?

NOTHING.

I'd say we have done a good job of exposing our kids to truth and we have done a good job of "on the way" talking about God (see Deuteronomy 6) in the parenting of our children.  We have done a good job of obedience training.  We have done an okay job with giving our kids grace.  We've done pretty good on parenting heart issues not behavior issues.  But those areas could also certainly be improved on.  But I don't think we have done as well in the routines, and in the systematic training of making our kids into disciples. In helping them to develop their own walks. If we train them to spend time daily with the Lord, and they see us living it out, it is going to be so much easier for them to have this life long discipline when they are older.  If our boys see Randy leading us in family worship now, it will be much easier for them to one day lead their families.  If  our girls see me consistently being a woman of prayer rather then a worry wart; how much easier will it be for them to pray? 

My heart was blessed when Randy shared that at the retreat this weekend the guys sat by a campfire and shared real prayer request.  They were asking for prayer for things like being more self-controlled.  Then high school guys were praying for each other.  Not the leaders.  Not being assigned to pray.  Volunteering immediately to pray for each request.  Wow!  Really?  I didn't know highschool guys were like this.  Praise the Lord!  I love this. 

When Randy shared how cool this was for him to see with another parent he found out that one of the dads on the retreat had recently sat down to talk with the boys about how on Wednesday nights only the girls were sharing and praying.  He talked to them about their Biblical role as leaders.  Thank you Lord for other men who will speak into our child's life with TRUTH!  He told them that they were assigned with the task of being spiritual leaders.  Evidently his words not only were heard but were internalized.  I love seeing a group (not one or 2......but pretty much the whole) of guys willing to lead spiritually.  AND I love that a man saw an area for growth and spoke truth into these young men's lives.  AWESOME!  This same group of guys were sitting around a campfire playing guitars and singing praise songs.  High.school.guys <3


So I don't feel as good about my parenting as I once did.  However......I know it is moving in a better direction.  Grateful for truth.  Grateful for high and holy standards being taught and daily lived out.  The fruit I've seen in the lives of people is astonishing.  What a blessing!

 I am beyond thrilled that I am aware of these parenting shortcoming.  I am overjoyed to have holy people speaking so candidly and humbly and helpfully into our lives with words and with examples.  I must cling to Christ.  This job of parenting is too big.  I am too human.  I am too stretched and too tired and too unworthy.  However, He is not.  He is worthy.  He is able.  He is Divine.  He loves them more than I do....which is hard to imagine.