Thursday, October 6, 2011

Wet Cement

I have been going to a women's discipleship class at our church this fall and I must say, it has done my heart good!
Thus far, we have talked about God's plan for our spiritual life, for our marriage, and for raising children.  Of course each one of the topics hits home.  I don't know about you, but I often feel convicted about the time I give to God and the time I give to my husband during the season of life known as raising a little one.
Tuesday, one of the Women's Directors from our church spoke about family values and raising our kids.  Gina said several things that really sank down deep.  She talked continually about how raising little ones is like having wet cement.  You have this cement.  You pour it and can form it relatively easy while it is wet.  But, the longer it sits out, the harder it gets.  Eventually, it is rock solid.  Then to make changes is much much more difficult.  You have to chisel away and this is a much slower and harder process than forming it to begin with.
WOW!  To compare this to raising kids certainly makes me look at each hour of my day.  Each activity that we are involved in.  The people my daughter is around.  If that doesn't make you think about how intentional you are with your kids, I don't know what will!  As parents we are only given a few short years to mold our babies into little people who radiate Godly character.  After that, they are like "hard cement" and to make changes is like chiseling away cement....a slow and painful process.  I am pretty sure no job is as important as investing in my kiddo.  No meeting is more important.  No TV show is more important.  Twitter or Facebook are not more important.  This blog or any other blog is certainly not more important.  Where am I spending the bulk of my time?
Gina challenged us mommies to think ahead to what we want our little ones to be like as big people.  Since, after all, the TRAINING starts now.
  Train up a child in the way he should go, 
Even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6

This is not a new concept to me but it is good to see things in a new light.  And it does a momma good to be reminded sometimes.
So, as difficult as I think it is some days to deal with the "terrible two's", which by the way I think are so wonderful in many ways.  I choose now!  I choose, with everything in me, to point my daughter toward Christ.  I choose to guard her heart from as much ick in this world as I possibly can.
Do I think this is easy?  NO.  Am I naive enough to think that I will never make mistakes along the way?  Absolutely not!  But, I know one thing for sure.  I do not want to look back on these formidable years with regret.
God has blessed Flint and I with the greatest gift and with that comes great responsibly.  So for now, I am working on forming my wet cement.

Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments.
Deuteronomy 7:9

1 comment:

Kelly’s Korner said...

That's good Rebekah! And challenging!