Sometimes, Your Children Lay Their Character Out For You To See….

 As a mother, I watch for things….about my children...For signs that they are growing Godly character… 

And, generally, I am not disappointed.   

It was easy to see evidence of God working in their lives when they were young and I had total control over their lives.  They were blanketed in all things Godly as best I could cover them….church was their family, neighbors were their 3^rd set of grandparents and friends were of the best kind. 

Harder it is since they have gotten older to have such an intimate influence because they are less in my presence and more in the presence of their friends.  Friends I don’t really get to choose or have much say about. 

I miss those young years when they had wonderful Godly teachers like Ms. Jana Callahan, where Veggie Tales was the main staple of their movie life and singing Bible Men 2 songs at a “Solid Rock Café” was the highlight of our days. 

I confess that at times, their behavior and decision making has grayed the hair on my head and stressed the beat of my heart.  At times, I have had a concerned “mother’s gut” and a worried mother’s spirit.

But, that happens less and less…. 

They are good kids…not because they are perfectly good, but because they have good hearts….His Heart 

I not only say this about them…I claim it! 

Because I have learned something important to all mothers… 

What I say, how I think, what I believe about my child makes all the difference.   

They way I view my babies will forever frame how they view themselves… 

I have never been a Mama who believed her children never did wrong…in fact, I was more likely to believe they could do wrong but prayed they didn’t.

 

As they are growing into adulthood, it becomes more and more clear to me that they are still very influenced by how I view them, how I treat them, how I support them….How I consider them as people.

They ask me, “Mama…do you think I am a good person?”  “Mama, do you think I can do this?” They say to me (often)….”Mama, listen to me….this is what I think…am I thinking right?” 

I have three very different children, but on any given day, one of them will seek out my thoughts about them…their behavior…their character….their decisions…how I view them, how their Ladder Dad views them…Every time they search out my thoughts, I am taken aback…..that they seem to care what I think. 

It’s humbling.

It’s moving.

It’s a responsibility I take very seriously. 

It melts my heart….and, I strive to give them my attention and focus in these little moments because I believe they really need my truth…my thoughts….and, that those thoughts I share should be based on HIS thoughts…HIS truths for it is in Him that they will see their real self reflected.   

These little mirror- moments when your child comes to you in hope they will see themselves reflected in your heart, your soul in a good and positive way. 

The responsibility on me in that moment to be the eyes of God reflecting back to my children is spirit-moving. 

Recently, and this is a smallish thing, but it matters….we have been working on teaching them to manage their finances.  God gives us much and expects us to do much with what He gives us.  God expects us to repay what we owe.  He expects us to take care of what we have.  He wants us to be good stewards….so, we have been working on this issue. 

 

  Madison pays off her car loan 

 Kenton buys new tires

 

 

                                                             Johnson repays Mama at the gym....then works out with her! 

 

As a result, Madison paid off her auto loan 17 months early, Kenton put new tires on his Jeep in response to our requirement prior to his buying his car and Johnson repaid a loan he took out last month. 

I am proud of them.  Not just because they are learning to manage their money, but also because they are learning to keep their word.   

If I borrow….I promise to pay…..and, pay timely. 

I love how excited each of them were to pay off their debts…..they each expressed relief to be out of debt, excitement to have accomplished such a feat and pride that they had honored their word!! 

Yes, maybe this is a smallish thing to the world, but it is a largish thing to the spirits of my children… 

There are other experiences which they are having which are growing their character….with each one, I am blessed to have a front row seat to their maturation…to the development of their character and their heart. 

And, I am grateful….to a God who has so blessed me with such precious children…children who while not perfect, are striving to grow in Him…. 

Children whom, at times, lay their character out for me to see… 

And, what I see is good. 

Blessings, 

Lesa