Relishing Moments
Do you ever stop long enough to relish the moments? I try to remember, but when life gets super busy, its difficult to remember to relish moments in each day. When Ethan was about 6 months old, I remember getting ready for church and he was sitting nicely on the floor, playing with some toys. I felt happy in that moment; our little family of 3 getting ready for church. I said to Jason "Relish this moment... it won't be just the 3 of us forever." Little did I know how fast we'd be 5!
This morning I sat, watching my 3 kids playing on the family room floor together, each one pretending with a fun voice. I love to watch them play together. Its fun to see how each of them have such different personalities.
Ethan is in control. He likes to order things the way he likes them. He enjoys a steady flow of life and appreciates scheduled routine. This can be a very obnoxious characteristic, but we're doing our best to cultivate a healthy dose of it. Its good for a man to take charge, know how to be in healthy control, and lead. We just try to temper it with gentleness, love and humility.
Rachel is our follower. As long as you're kind to her, she'll pretty much do and say whatever you tell her to. So Ethan spends most of the play time telling her to say things for her dolls, telling her where to sit, where to "drive" her car, etc... and she follows, very dutifully. However, if she feels you're being mean or giving her the short end of the stick, you'll often hear her say "No, Efan, I don't like being treated that way!" I'm so thankful when I heard them resolve things in a well communicate fashion; both resolving to make sure the other is happy.
Kara is going to have a mind of her own. She is easy going, but already knows how to stick up for herself and fend for herself. If you take a toy from her, she won't fight back, she moves on with an attitude of "that's fine. I'll go find a different toy." She is opinionated and likes things a certain way; very picky about the food she eats, the way she likes to sleep only in a diaper, she insists I be within eye sight of her at all times, and how the bath cannot have bubbles in it. It makes me laugh. What 11 month old has ideas about bath bubbles?! Kara does.
When you put all 3 of them together and watch them play, its amazing to see how God has created them all different from each other, but they mix very well. I'm so thankful that He's made even siblings to be uniquely different. Otherwise they'd have a hard time learning basic social skills at home. I'm learning that home is the best place to do our learning, because they're stuck together 24/7, so that's where you're going to get the most realistic opportunities to teach things like selfless love, kindness, the ability to solve a difficult situation in a peaceable way, and areas to serve one another, expecting nothing in return.
When I do stop long enough to sit and relish the moments, I'm amazed at God's creation and how He's ordered things in such a well ordered fashion. There is a purpose for today's family. There is a real purpose in why we start families. There is a reason we train up our kids in the way they should go and there are reasons for why we want them to be happy, well adjusted, loving people in today's world. I want my children to be strong, independent people (yes, even my girls!!) and I'm learning to allow and encourage each of them to have their own ways of expressing themselves, and their own ways of learning as they grow. I want my kids to live out Leviticus 19:18b "...You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD." and Deuteronomy 6:5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."
God hasn't made them robots. They're not exact repeats of Jason, me or any other family member. They're each created in God's image, but unique in their own ways. And then I begin praying for strength, grace, patience and faith... because the most important thing is for us to teach them about their Creator, the Giver of everlasting life and the One who helps them grow and flourish. Being a parent is a huge job, but I think its the most rewarding.
When you look at a typical life timeline, you realize how fast our time training and raising is. So relish the moments... they pass too quickly.
This morning I sat, watching my 3 kids playing on the family room floor together, each one pretending with a fun voice. I love to watch them play together. Its fun to see how each of them have such different personalities.
Ethan is in control. He likes to order things the way he likes them. He enjoys a steady flow of life and appreciates scheduled routine. This can be a very obnoxious characteristic, but we're doing our best to cultivate a healthy dose of it. Its good for a man to take charge, know how to be in healthy control, and lead. We just try to temper it with gentleness, love and humility.
Rachel is our follower. As long as you're kind to her, she'll pretty much do and say whatever you tell her to. So Ethan spends most of the play time telling her to say things for her dolls, telling her where to sit, where to "drive" her car, etc... and she follows, very dutifully. However, if she feels you're being mean or giving her the short end of the stick, you'll often hear her say "No, Efan, I don't like being treated that way!" I'm so thankful when I heard them resolve things in a well communicate fashion; both resolving to make sure the other is happy.
Kara is going to have a mind of her own. She is easy going, but already knows how to stick up for herself and fend for herself. If you take a toy from her, she won't fight back, she moves on with an attitude of "that's fine. I'll go find a different toy." She is opinionated and likes things a certain way; very picky about the food she eats, the way she likes to sleep only in a diaper, she insists I be within eye sight of her at all times, and how the bath cannot have bubbles in it. It makes me laugh. What 11 month old has ideas about bath bubbles?! Kara does.
When you put all 3 of them together and watch them play, its amazing to see how God has created them all different from each other, but they mix very well. I'm so thankful that He's made even siblings to be uniquely different. Otherwise they'd have a hard time learning basic social skills at home. I'm learning that home is the best place to do our learning, because they're stuck together 24/7, so that's where you're going to get the most realistic opportunities to teach things like selfless love, kindness, the ability to solve a difficult situation in a peaceable way, and areas to serve one another, expecting nothing in return.
When I do stop long enough to sit and relish the moments, I'm amazed at God's creation and how He's ordered things in such a well ordered fashion. There is a purpose for today's family. There is a real purpose in why we start families. There is a reason we train up our kids in the way they should go and there are reasons for why we want them to be happy, well adjusted, loving people in today's world. I want my children to be strong, independent people (yes, even my girls!!) and I'm learning to allow and encourage each of them to have their own ways of expressing themselves, and their own ways of learning as they grow. I want my kids to live out Leviticus 19:18b "...You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD." and Deuteronomy 6:5 "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."
God hasn't made them robots. They're not exact repeats of Jason, me or any other family member. They're each created in God's image, but unique in their own ways. And then I begin praying for strength, grace, patience and faith... because the most important thing is for us to teach them about their Creator, the Giver of everlasting life and the One who helps them grow and flourish. Being a parent is a huge job, but I think its the most rewarding.
When you look at a typical life timeline, you realize how fast our time training and raising is. So relish the moments... they pass too quickly.
Comments
And I have realized what you have, that God has placed my children, with their own strengths and weaknesses, into our family for our families' sanctification.
Thanks so much for your encouragement!