We're not perfect. Sometimes our tempers flares. Sometimes stubborn streaks blaze like lightning in a midnight sky and angry tongues sear tender hearts. More times than I want to remember or count, I've had to say to my children, "I'm so sorry. I was wrong. Will you forgive me?"
Some days, we spend more time working on our fractured hearts - asking the Lord to do some major renovation there - than we spend working on fractions and identifying predicate adjectives.
Lots and lots and lots of times, when a child's bad choices have blazed like lit cords to explosives, I have hugged that child tight and said again, "All you really need to know right now is that I love you, and nothing you do and nothing you say will ever, ever change that." And by God's ever-amazing grace, we realize again that just as His kindness leads us to repentance, so our kindness does the same for our children.
So when I tell the stories of our days, when I share what we're doing here . . . know that we're just everyday, normal, regular people like you are. We make a lot of mistakes. We don't have it all figured out. We have more questions than answers on most days. But we're leaning hard into God's grace, clinging tenaciously to Him, counting on Him to guard what we've entrusted to Him.
Tonight, as you pray the Word over your children, know that it's not a formula for perfection, but it's a conscious leaning into Him who is perfect and good and trustworthy, into Him who is the only one worthy of our praise. It's a faithful planting of good seed and trusting Him to make that seed grow.
Click here to download the free printable.
Some days, we spend more time working on our fractured hearts - asking the Lord to do some major renovation there - than we spend working on fractions and identifying predicate adjectives.
Lots and lots and lots of times, when a child's bad choices have blazed like lit cords to explosives, I have hugged that child tight and said again, "All you really need to know right now is that I love you, and nothing you do and nothing you say will ever, ever change that." And by God's ever-amazing grace, we realize again that just as His kindness leads us to repentance, so our kindness does the same for our children.
So when I tell the stories of our days, when I share what we're doing here . . . know that we're just everyday, normal, regular people like you are. We make a lot of mistakes. We don't have it all figured out. We have more questions than answers on most days. But we're leaning hard into God's grace, clinging tenaciously to Him, counting on Him to guard what we've entrusted to Him.
Tonight, as you pray the Word over your children, know that it's not a formula for perfection, but it's a conscious leaning into Him who is perfect and good and trustworthy, into Him who is the only one worthy of our praise. It's a faithful planting of good seed and trusting Him to make that seed grow.
The rain and the snow come down from the heavens
and stay on the ground to water the earth.
They cause the grain to grow,
producing seed for the farmer
and bread for the hungry.
It is the same with my Word.
I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to.
And it will prosper everywhere I send it.
You will live in joy and peace.
The mountains and hills will burst into song,
And the trees of the field will clap their hands.
Isaiah 55:10-12, NLT
More of the verses we pray over our children, these seeds planted in their lives . . .
Click here to download the free printable.