Practice Makes Perfect

Clipart found on hawaiidermatology.com

So we’ve been struggling with the question of whether we’re getting through to our children’s hearts. Do they really hear what we’re telling them?

One of our goals is to teach our children the sanctity of marriage. We believe God made one woman for each man and that He will bring the two together when the time is right. Toward that goal we have been teaching our children that they belong to their spouse right now. And that they must keep themselves pure both emotionally and physically. There will be no dating in this house. But neither will we arrange their marriage (though I do have a candidate in mind for each-I can’t help myself!).

And so we have been planting seeds. We’ve been instructing them on the roles of a spouse according to Scripture. What does God demand of a husband and father? What does it look like to be a Godly wife and mother?

Well the other day the children were playing a game when I heard Little Big Boy Man asking Sweetie Pie #1 if he could marry her. TEACHABLE MOMENT! My husband was right on it. He called the children to his side and ran through what should happen. He told Sweetie Pie #1 that if any man approaches her and wants to spend time with her or asks to marry her, she is to say “Go talk to my Dad.” He told Little Big Boy Man that if he is ever interested in spending time or marrying a woman, he must first come to us and then to her father. He then proceeded to pepper Little Big Boy Man with questions about his relationship with God, his family, his ability to care for our daughter, and why he wanted to spend time/marry her.

Naturally, he had no answers to these questions, so my husband began to tell him why these things are important. We talked about guarding your heart, preparing yourself for marriage and family, and the realities of family life. I will admit that it could have been more information than was needed, but if only a small portion sunk in right now I’ll consider it a job well done.

Now when we hear “Can I marry you?”, we also hear “Go talk to my Dad.” Then Little Big Boy Man dutifully presents himself before my husband.

Once, when the scenario was playing itself out, Little Big Boy Man refused to come speak to my husband and instead insisted she marry him anyway. Sweetie Pie #1 went screaming from the room!

Stressed and Anxious

August 31, 2013

Have you ever stood in the ocean with the waves crashing in on you every other second? By the time you caught your breath from the last wave you had to prepare for the next. It eventually leaves you so tired you feel that you must either succumb to the waves or leave the beach entirely. Either way you must give up. That is, if you haven’t been knocked down and dragged out in the undertow.

That’s a little like we feel right now.

So much has been happening to our family this summer that we have started to sit up and take notice. The waves of difficulties have been non-ending. Just as we think we’re getting back on our feet, here comes another wave! You tell yourself it is just for a season. But you find the words ringing hollow after a while and you wonder if it sounds like a lie to everyone else too.

What do the difficulties of life have to do with discipling?

A lot actually.

How our children see us handling the hardships of life testifies a lot about our relationship with God. Is there worry? Fear? Stress? Anger? You betcha there is. But there is also faith, trust and assurance. And God has brought us to a place where we have stopped focusing on what is going on here and started focusing on what God has for us at the end of this time.

Our children here us talk about the problems that have been coming our way. They’ve heard us talking about how we’re going to fix them. And now they hear us talking about what God is trying to teach us through all of it.

They see us counting our blessings even as the cursings keep coming. But we are not perfect people and at times we can also be caught complaining too. And as we struggle to deal with everything some things are falling through the cracks.

Schooling has been one of those things. I sat down the other night to get the paperwork for our first week of school printed out and lesson plans completed and realized I am grossly unprepared. I had fooled myself into thinking just because I had been planning (albeit in my head) I was ready.

Panic started to set in. I immediately went into ‘How Am I Going To Fix This’ mode. I stared blankly at my computer screen, wrung my hands a few times, I think I may have even paced a little. Finally, I put my head down and whispered “I give up”.

Then God spoke. He had probably been speaking all along, but I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts to hear Him. “Take a look at your plans again”, he was saying. “So what if you don’t have language arts scheduled. So what if you don’t have science and history planned out. So what if you don’t have the math curriculum you wanted. Look at what you DO have.”

And what I had was a 32 week plan for studying the Word of God. Scripture verses for the family to memorize. A calendar full of Jewish Holy Days and festivals to learn about and celebrate. What I had was a plan for teaching my children life skills (a loose one but still a plan). And what could be more important.

Once again I am reminded that if we take care of the God thing, He’ll take care of the rest.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28