Loving our kids for who God made them to be

'Parenthood is about raising and celebrating the child you have, not the child you thought you'd have. It's about understanding your child is exactly the person they are supposed to be.  And if you're lucky, they might be the teacher who turns you into the person you're supposed to be." (Joan Ryan)

 I saw this quote on my instagram feed the other day and it really got me pondering.  Loving our children is something that we do on a daily basis, almost second nature really, when they need something as Mom's we try our best to provide it for them.  When they cry we comfort them with a hug, when they are cold give them a blanket to warm them up, when they are hungry we give them something to eat.  Our days are small acts of love woven together as we care for our children in these small but tangible ways.  We get to know our children as they grow and we learn more about their personalities and what makes them tick.  Each child is so different and unique and as we do these small acts of love every day we can love them according to who they are and who God made them to be.

  All 3 of our children are very different, and rightly so, they are their own little humans ;) We have some strong headedness, some creativity, some tender hearts, some outgoing personalities, some shyness, some overly emotional and some compassionate souls, just to name a few.  When I think of my own siblings and I, I think of how different we all are as well, it's amazing to see how God has created us all in His own image and how he brought our families together for His glory and purpose. Every person has a unique place in their family and complete the family unit with their own traits and skills, and it is beautiful to see each unit work together as a whole. Whether it’s a family with a Mom, Dad and two kids, or one Mom and 6 kids, God creates them all in His image.

I think back to before I had children, and all the expectations I had of what I thought I wanted my children to be like. So many silly things that I thought were important or that I thought were in my control. Then I had kids, and all of that flew straight out the window, and fast! I realized quickly that it was not my job to turn my children into the image of what I thought they should be, but to love them and encourage them in who they already were, and who God had carefully and mindfully made them to be. Our kids hadn’t been randomly selected to be in our family, I fully believe they were hand chosen by God just for us. To teach us, and to grow us and to show us how to truly love.

This is not to say we don’t teach them and train them up in the way that God has commanded us to do as parents, but to know that they are not our own, but they are the Lord’s and they are in HIS hands. And gratefully so, as raising small humans is not an easy task and I know full well that I could not and should not do it on my own strength. So, I put my kids in the Lords hands, and I pray, every day that He would guide them in the way that He wants them to go. It can be hard to give up that ‘control’ as a parent, as many times we feel their behaviour or personality is a reflection of ourselves. But if I could share anything that I’ve learned about parenting it is to let that GO, and give yourself and your kids the same grace that the Lord gives freely to us.

Our kids may not be exactly who we ‘envisioned’ they would be, in my experience our whole lives are never exactly how we envision, But the biggest thing I’ve learned is that our children are not our own, they are God’s, and an amazing gift from Him. He picked out each of our children for us according to what He knew was best for us. That to me is exactly what I ‘envision’ now, loving my kids for who God made them and also loving them as the big gift that they are. This way of thinking truly changes our perspective and brings us such peace as we raise our kids.

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!" Psalm 127: 3-5

Remember what a great job you are doing, and keep loving those babes the way I know you already do,

Love,

Shelley

p.s. next week should I post our bedroom reno before & after? Or a recipe? Vote below!