Skip to main content

WHY parent?

It came to me in the night that I didn't explain WHY we expect obedience, trust, respect, truth, and happy hearts from our children. WHY do we discipline? WHY do we rebuke? WHY do we interfere when they are hitting another? WHY do we comfort?

We believe that God sent up the family to show the Gospel to the world. I could talk about that for a long time, but down to parenting... We are to teach our children to obey, trust, respect, tell the truth, and have happy hearts to teach them to obey God. If my child learns at an early age that she does not have to respect authority, it will be so difficult for her to respect God. If my son learns as a toddler that my instructions are just suggestions, how will he hear God's words, the words of the almighty creator sustainer?

It's our job to teach children from the very moment they can comprehend so that they learn how to interact with our amazing Savior and gracious Father. It's our responsibility. When I tire of it (and I do!), Josh reminds me that THIS is why God made me to be a mother. Not for the joys of motherhood (although those joys are SO great!). Not for the snuggles (and those are so sweet!). Not for the easy days (those are so few at this stage in our young family). Not for the obedience (and that is so rewarding). But to TRAIN our children and usher them into a right relationship with God.

So, the children at Home of Love, likewise, need this training and this very well might be one reason that God has brought us here!

Comments

Ann said…
So true Abby! Thank you for the reminder. As you say, most days are hard, and sometimes, training our children is just so draining. It's good to be reminded of our role and our privilege.
Hope you feel better very soon!
3:40 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Family of Three!

We are in Liberia - the electricity goes in and out because the generator is having trouble keeping up these days! So hopefully it will stay on long enough to post and the internet connection will allow me this luxury! We were united with precious Gracie on Thanksgiving day - I will write more about this later. But, oh! is Gracie a joy! She is so beautiful, so joyfilled, and a bit mischievious. Her physical limitations do not permit her to accomplish much mischief, but we can tell that she is trying to push some limits already. If we were not in love with her already, she is irresitable and such a treasure and blessing from God. In our two days together, she has not cried once. She spends most of her days smiling, she loves to snuggle (good match for us!), and has the most contagious laugh! Life takes more effort for her - her cerebral palsy is moderate and every activity is a challenge and is clearly tiring for her. Meal times (which she loves) take a long time and much patience and d...
6 comments
Read more

New Stage of Life

Gracie has entered a new developmental stage. She now is active and has been rolling all over the floor. We cleared out a little living room so that she would have room to roll around - she's rolling front to back, both directions. She also has been much easier to get up on all fours - it used to take 3-4 adults to cram her into the crawling position due to her resistance. She now even spontaneously gets into a semi-crawling position on her own. In the crawling position she's been weight bearing even on her right arm (but always in combination with her left arm). She also has been rocking a little in the crawling position as if she gets it that this is a way that you can move! It's been so exciting. But it also makes her much more eager to be down with other kids and moving around. She's in a very active active stage, always moving, and wanting to move. She's also taken, not just a huge interest in other kids, but also interest in toys a bit more. She's so fun!
4 comments
Read more

The Foolishness of God's Calling

A friend shared with me how "strange" (and scary) our decisions appear to those observing our lives. Most people are barely surviving residency and then for me to decide to adopt, to decide to adopt a child with special needs, to decide to adopt this child from the uncertainty of Liberia, to decide to start my Master's of Public Health during residency... it all seems crazy and overwhelming to the observer. But what my friend did not take into account is that God's calling on our lives will not always appear sane. Our choices are neither noble nor insane if they are what God has called us to. These choices are simply obedience to sovereign God! We are not living for life in this world, we are in fact aliens to this world and shouldn't settle down and get too comfortable because our joy is in heaven. God calls each of us to "not waste our lives" but live each day with an eternal focus. With an eternal focus, we should not only adopt a child with disabil...
4 comments
Read more