Heart moments are what parents long for.
The fourteen-year-old who cleans up the kitchen just to see the delight on your face. The eight-year-old who cries that repentant cry when he truly realizes the seriousness of his disobedience. The four-year-old who gives you that big hug and says, “You’re the best mommy in the whole world!” All of these are heart moments and they not only remind us of the value of parenting, but also they give us encouragement continue on. Sometimes heart moments happen after weeks and months of hard work. Other times they come more spontaneously.
No matter what brought the heart moment on, you want to be ready for it.Pray daily that God would help you be ready. Be sure to take advantage of opportunities with your kids. Those opportunities may be when you're driving in the car, or when your child has just had an emotional experience. Be ready. Time and emotions are two of the things that open up the heart. Look for ways to connect and watch what God will do.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Great posts Dan. I just finished reading through to this one and I am encouraged. A lot of these insights are valid in all the stages of parenting, all the way through the teen years, and even in a nuanced way through college. It is sad to know that many
parents give up parenting in the teen years, due to stress or lack of forsight, just at the time that boundaries and role modeling become important for identity formation and safety in general. If parents continued to parent with the principles here, youth ministry would not be the social justice concern it is.
I'll point to some of these insights in the future.
Post a Comment