lessons from my children

"From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise" ~ Psalm 8:2

kate and i were sitting down to lunch yesterday: tilapia, green peas, and "pot-pies" (french fries in kate-speak.) and as i'm getting ready to take my first bite, i could tell she was quietly watching me. i look over at her and she says, "amen, mommy!" she was reminding me that it was time to pray. we both clasped our hands together, bowed our heads, and i offered a simple prayer for our lunch. at the end, right after i say, "...in Jesus' name..." she always says, "a-MEN!" with a huge smile. sometimes we pray two or three times because she enjoys it so much.

wow, the lessons to be learned from a 21-month-old.

that day, i really felt convicted in my heart about praying. here i am, with a major ordeal going on in my life that i am totally consumed with...but i have forgotten about the little things that need to be prayed about too.

raising a toddler and being pregnant with jonathan at the same time has really magnified my need to "get back to the basics." both of my children have taught me so much more about God's love for us. i mean, think about it...we love our children with all our hearts and would do just about anything for them...isn't this how God must feel about us, except even more?

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." ~John 3:16

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." ~1 John 4:9-10

of course, like any parent, God wants us to be happy and to prosper. there are so many verses about this. (check out Job, Psalms, and Proverbs.) but His great love for us also means that we must walk through tough times in order for us to be refined, and that He must enact consequences for us when we are purposefully disobeying Him. we as parents can relate to these "basics" on a much lesser scale.

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." ~ James 1:12

"...because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in." ~Proverbs 3:12

the lesson kate taught me yesterday about praying is so significant, the more i think about it. not only does she remember to pray when i don't, but she does it with such excitement and cheerfulness. she wants to do it over and over again. i believe that this is what God desires from us: to be cheerful pray-ers and to continually abide in communion with Him, even over the "little things." just because my prayers lately tend to revolve around the life and impending death of my son doesn't mean i should take for granted my many basic blessings such as food and shelter. i also desire to pray more out of delight and thankfulness than of duty.

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." ~Psalm 37:4

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."~1 Thessalonians 5:16-18