The Value of My Children

This is long but such a blessing so once again read at your choosing:

Yesterday I read the following paragraphs from a book that I am reading called "Say Goodbye to whining, complaining and bad attitudes in your kids!":

"Raising children has a high price tag.  It includes loss of sleep and fewer choices for your free time and money.  It means transporting them from here to there and back again.  Children cost much more than parents ever imagined.  But if you focus too much on the cost, you loose sight of the value.  Parents who realize the value of their children conduct themselves differently.  Closeness is the result.

Children aren't possessions; they're treasures.  Most parents don't realize what they're getting into when they bring that little bundle of cuteness home from the hospital.  They may get irritated or lose some of the joy of parenting over the years. Part of the solution is to get your mind off the cost and onto the value of your children."

At this stage in parenting, we often get very few returns for all of the giving that we do and I so relate with what the above author was saying.  I was really challenged by this and ask the Lord to help me really see the value in both my children and the time I give to being their mommy. I never expected what He would give me the very next day.

Today I (with John's help) had 3 very different spiritual conversations with Jake (our 4 year old) before 10 am.  God used these to bless my heart tremendously and to encourage me that my time spent investing in these children and just being here with them is so valuable to the Lord.  Here were the gist of each conversations:

1. At breakfast this morning Jake said something boastful to Brady and I told him that was not kind and that God only allows us to boast in loving and knowing Him.  He sat at the table and thought for awhile about it.  Then he proceeded with about a 10 minute role play to see if he knew what boasting was.  He would say "If I say ..... is that boasting?"  It was amazing to watch his mind wrap around this concept.  I have said those words to him many times (planted seeds) and today I got to watch fruit grow in his heart as he begin to understand what boasting really is and now he has a filter in his heart to help him better honor the Lord with his words.  Priceless to my heart!!!!

2. He was having room time drawing and listening to a Bible Story cd.  He came into the bedroom and said "Mommy that story just said that a little guy beat a giant.  Little guys can't beat giants, they are too little."  So we talked about how that it seems that would be the case but that David was a special little guy because the Lord made him special and the Lord gave him the ability to beat that giant.  I then talked about how God could use him to do great things if only he would learn to ask God for help.  We talked about how to do that.

3. Later, still during his room time he came out and into the kitchen where I was and said, "Mommy when will I get to see Big Daddy (after questioning him, I learned that he was talking about his great granddaddy that use to live with his Big Nana.  He died about 2 years ago)  I told him that we wouldn't see him for a long time because he lived in heaven now.  I said that when we go to live in heaven that we will get to see him again.  He started crying really hard (remember he is my little feeler) and said I don't want to go to heaven I just want to stay here in my house with you and daddy and Brady.  So I sat down in the kitchen floor and pulled him into my lap.  I talked about how great heaven would be and that he would never be sad when he lived in heaven.  He would not be comforted.  So I called John in there and daddy picked up his little boy and took him to the rocking chair.  He said "Son why are you crying?"  Jake told him why he was so sad and that he did not want to go to heaven and leave us.  So John started telling him that is was ok to feel sad but that living in heaven would be way more fun that living with mommy and daddy and that God loved him more that me and mommy could ever love him.  10 minutes into this conversation he is still very sad and crying very hard.  It really broke my heart.  So I decided to see if God's word would comfort him.  So I said to him as he sat in Johns lap "Jake you are sad because you think that living here is better than living in heaven with Jesus but in order to stop being sad we have to learn to know and think about what is true.  Jesus tells us about heaven and that he is in heaven right now preparing a room just for you.  (John 14)  Jake stopped crying and sat up tall in John's lap.  It was precious.  I continued reading that Jesus said that he promises to come back and get us and take us to be in heaven with Him.  So we talked about that for a few minutes and he was completely satisfied at that point. (we tried to tranisition into the gospel with him but for this time he had heard enough).  He said i am glad that Jesus loves me and lives in my heart and will come get me and show me the room he made just for me.  And off to playing he went.  

So later this afternoon, Jake was in his room having quiet time while Brady finished his nap.  He came into my bedroom and said "Mommy I colored this picture and I want to keep it and hang it in my special room in heaven."   Here he is all smiles holding his picture that mommy will forever keep to remind me of the value of this child and my time with him: