Faith in Parenting

Sorry for the absence! I was blogging on my husband’s blog while he was in Africa! He’s back now, and you can check out the blog at http://christopherbwolf.wordpress.com.

Meanwhile, I’ll be catching up here this week.  Sorry for the lapse!

Blessings,
Jen

This is a great verse to share with your kids the next time they express fear of the unknown.  Maybe your son is anxious about his first sleepover, or your daughter is worried about attending a new dance school.  Our kids enter into situations that are “new” to them all the time, but it’s not always comfortable.  Reminding them - and ourselves, for that matter! - that God himself goes ahead of them and will be with them is incredibly reassuring.

So the next time you’re presented with a “what if…” from one of your kids, consider sharing this verse and turning the moment into a quick One-Minute Devotional opportunity!

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Some Thoughts for All of Us: Boy, this is tough to remember sometimes, isn’t it? I mean, how many times do we find ourselves worrying? Worrying about what will happen tomorrow, whether we will have enough money, or whether we’ll be asked to face something we can not yet imagine.

Let’s do something - let’s really memorize this verse, and repeat it in those moments when worries come creeping upon us.  The Lord himself goes before us and will be with us.  ~Amen!

Don’t you just love kids’ questions? The other day, my 5-year-old asked me if I wished for her and her brother before they were born. And it led to such a neat conversation! I got to explain how much I prayed for each of them before they were born, and how I trusted God to use me to bring into the world the exact children He wanted me to raise. (And look - He did!)

It was also an ideal opportunity for incorporating these two verses, and turning her natural inquiry into a quick one-minute devotion opportunity.

You can do the same thing. The next time your kids spontaneously ask you about the day they were born, share with them how purposefully God created them, knitting each cell together until they grew into the little person they are right at this moment!

Psalm 139: 13-14 -

For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

Some Thoughts for Moms: Guess what? Today is my son’s 9th birthday! And I can’t help but think of these verses today. Isn’t it just amazing to think that God created our children, knit them together? I’m not too crafty myself, but people who knit tell me it’s an intricate process that requires a lot of patience and thought. What a joy it is to see the intricacies of God’s creation through our children! “I know that full well.”

May you be blessed to see this verse from a new perspective and be encouraged in the Lord through the lives of your children. ~Amen!