Sharing His Grace

What does it mean to love our children; to truly love our children as God calls us and we yearn to do?

Over the past few weeks, God has been speaking to my heart bits and pieces of this answer. Through different people, books and most importantly Scripture, God is showing me and teaching me how to extend grace to my children in a whole new way.

At many points through the average day you can find me on the floor with my children; loving on them, playing with them, teaching them about this beautiful world God created; and often, even sometimes at the exact same moments, explaining to them how to handle their emotions, or why they should or should not do something. On the average day, we go about these routines of learning ‘smoothly’. On the average day.

There are some days however that just leave you drained; leave you praying to just survive until bedtime. There are some days that the boys have just had enough and so has mama. It’s on these days when telling them to stop touching the DVD player for the millionth time that day, to stop throwing the goldfish in the air and feeding them to the dogs, to not scream bloody murder when I turn the corner out of their site, to not hit their brother or throw the toys, and that they are NOT SuperMan, leaves one weak and begging for just a little peace. It’s at these moments I know I should guide them with love and consistency, and yet, all I find myself praying for is for one quiet moment with everyone happy and doing ‘what’s right’. These days I can find myself contemplating letting them throw the toys, feed the dogs and throw a fit. But through my weakness, God is stronger and so I pray for help. I pray for energy; any bit of energy He can give this pregnant mama with 12-month-old teething twin boys.

It was one of these difficult days that I cried out to God asking Him to specifically show me what in these times He wanted me to learn and to do. Since then, as I mentioned before, God has been feeding little ideas to me here and there. He’s been whispering things, but as He so often does, only small incomplete glimpses and ideas. Just the past couple of days it’s been ‘gelling’ for me; fragmented ideas now coming together to help me see more of the big picture He is wanting me to learn.

For months now, unknown to me why until now, the idea of Grace has been circulating my mind. The idea of Love surfaces often as well.

I just started studying 1 Corinthians 13 this week, through a new study recommended by a dear friend. Perfect timing and just what I needed to take everything God has been feeding me and try to fully grasp His beautiful message to my tired and yet wonderfully happy heart.

As I read Scripture and other books, I realize that these studies are another way God is speaking to me and answering my cry for help. It’s what I’ve heard many times before and strongly believe; it’s a basic concept spoken in fresh new ways and through God’s gentle whispers. It’s about extending the grace He so lavishes me with daily to my dear children He has entrusted me with. It’s about looking at their Christian walk in similar ways to my own. These concepts I am very familiar with, but just as the Word is alive and active, God can freshen these ideas too to refresh my soul.

So on the good days, on the average days, and on the days I’m just tired and weary, God will help me extend the grace and teach the beautiful children He has entrusted me with. I thank God for speaking to my heart and giving me the energy I need as I embark on this wonderful entrusted gift of parenting and loving my children.


A Little Extra
A few ideas and quotes from the book I just started reading today, ‘Loving the Little Years’ by Rachel Jankovic:

- “If there is anything I have learned in the course of my fast and furious mothering journey, it is that there is only one thing in my entire life that must be organized… if organization and order can still be found in my attitude, we are doing well.”
- “We have a much harder time accepting that every failure from them is a wonderful opportunity for repentance and growth…” Or, just sometimes just too tired to focus on this part if you ask me.
- “Sin is just a fact of life. It is the way we deal with it that changes ours.”
- “Now try thinking of discipline as a different kind of nourishment – a sweet means of grace to your children.”

There is a lot more I underlined, but I wanted to share just a few of her thoughts from the beginning chapters.