We want our children to grow up
rooted in Christ. We have ideas about how we want to shape them to become men
and women of good character. We want to teach them how to make the right choices
in this life.
We have some basic routines in
place to help them mature into men and women of God. We might read them the
bible everyday and pray for them and with them… or at least have the intention
to. We have good ideas of how we can even do a better job of this, and yet many
of us struggle as we put it off until an opportune time… which probably never
comes.
Parenting is often spur of the
moment. Deal with each circumstance as it occurs, when it is brought to our
attention or as we find the time in our busy schedules. I often wish I could
slow time down and learn how to better be more purposeful in my parenting.
The other day I made some time to
do some much needed gardening and this is when I began to reflect on what I am
writing about today. My garden is a good example of something that gets
neglected until the weeds move in and everything is overgrown. I definitely lack
purpose and planning in my garden. Most of it was just there when we moved in
and some of it has planted itself throughout the years. It is not until it gets
really hot out that I think to water it. It is not until it is overgrown that I
think to prune it. And it is not until the weeds overtake it that I think to
pull them out.
What a difference it makes when
it is weeded… the soil freshly turned… the flowers in bloom… it can be very
beautiful. But it takes more then just a day of hard work… it is a continual
process. It takes a lot of time. It is a daily effort.
As I was pruning I began to think
about how God prunes us, shaping us to be the godly children, wives and mothers
He intends us to be. He is very purposeful with us, and He is there to prune us
as needed. Whether we are in our 20's, 30's, 40's, 50's… we are all very much
like a flower blooming in a garden (and I'm sure this analogy is not new). I
think about my own faith journey and how sometimes it blooms beautifully, while
other times it needs pruning, and still other times the weeds creep in.
How thankful I am that I have God
as an example of the perfect parent.
Thank you Father for always being
there to help us grow to be more like Christ. Help us make the time for our
spiritual growth and the spiritual growth of our children. Shape our priorities
to be in order of what is eternally important.
Amen
