Day 49...Dear Jesus

Dear Sadie,

When you and your brother started talking, it was one of the most wonderful experiences of my life.  From your first words, Dadda, then duck, and bye-bye, and of course Mama, to your nonsense babbling that only you could understand.  We all just laughed and adored.  Now it is Titus’ turn.  He is saying, in his own way, all of our names, shoes, cheese, please, thank you, milk, outside, mine! The fun part is when he repeats things we say.  He says it and just smiles a jolly smile.  When he is in the mood to jabber, he really lights up and gives us what we want.  And today was the best day yet.  He said his first prayer, the same one we taught you when you were a year and a half.  The most precious part about it was when you were singing your “God, our Father” prayer before eating, I glanced over at Titus, and he had his head all the way down and kept it there until you were done praying.  When you said Amen, he lifted his head, and my heart lifted too.  He knew this tradition, and I hadn’t even intentionally taught him!  I was pretty surprised.  You kids pick up things so fast, faster than we can keep up with!  So that is when I decided to say to Titus, “You can pray, too. Say, Dear Jesus…I love you…Thank you…Amen.” And he repeated everything back to me with such joy. I thought to myself, I gotta tell somebody!  Titus just prayed with me!  Okay, so I know He doesn’t exactly know all he is saying, but it was our “first steps” of spiritual growth with Titus, for me.  And I was thrilled.  I had to text a few people right away! J  Then I thought, how amazing is it that he picked up that all by himself.  “Man, I can’t believe I haven’t taught him about prayer earlier!  How do I keep up?” It can be slightly overwhelming when you think about it this way. Now looking back, I have a slightly different perspective on it.  And that is just that so much of what is taught is not the intentional, but the things that go under the Mommy/Daddy Radar.  Sure there are things we need to be purposeful about, teaching and training and discipling.  All of that is Biblical and important.  Truthfully though, they pick up character traits and habits without us every realizing it.  What a profound task, this living in front of two little pairs of eyes.  It’s scary, and yet remarkable.  Humbling, and yet fulfilling.  To know that we are living and breathing examples of Christ for you, that you will watch us and critique us and copy us more than anyone in the world.  I cannot imagine what this journey is like without the grace of Christ! We sin, and you will watch us fail.  And at the same time, the mystery remains, that it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.  I choose to be moved by the Spirit and not by my own flesh.  I am living in His grace, and there is no longer any condemnation for me!  How freeing is that?  When you become a parent, be released to live full in His grace.  Do not put restrictions on yourself to be all to your children.  Do not chase after perfection, as tempting as that may be. His grace is sufficient. You can be free to be yourself and grow in this grace.  If your kids get to watch you in that garden of freedom, they will be more inspired to seek the Lord for themselves.  They will follow Him.  They will have discernment and accountability in Him.  They will have a safe place to land.  They will remember that this life is more than living by a set of rules or standards.  It is living rightly related to their Father, in love with Jesus, worshiping Him, in pursuit of His glory.  What can be more rewarding than that?

Love,
Mommy

“Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1