As I started to think about what I should write for my first blog post, I actually had a friend post her very first blog as well... about her dream. It made me contemplate a little about what my dreams are and have been... and whether I'm making the most of them.
I've always said one of my biggest dreams is to be a mom and raise my children to know the love of Jesus, just as I was raised. It is important to me that my children grow up learning about the love of Jesus. Now that I have a daughter of my own and realize the responsibility of raising a child, this seems just as important to me as sharing Jesus' love with others. The weight of that responsibility is even greater than I could have imagined.
I think of the world today and how frightening it seems. The moral standards and what is considered acceptable, or even the norm, seem to be plummeting at an alarming rate. Television shows, commercials, the media, music, and movies ingrain in our heads the idea that sex outside of marriage (whether it be premarital or while married to someone else) won't hurt and damage our relationships; they objectify women and portray violence and hatred. This spills into society, because our heroes are the celebrities or main characters. We are glued to our TVs, computers, and smart phones, losing precious, quality time with our families. By the time my children are teenagers and growing into adults, I can't even imagine the overwhelming temptations, distractions, and fears they will have to face.
However...
"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure." (1 Corinthians 10:13)
and
"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." (Proverbs 22:6)
These are the promises I must cling to and believe for my child and future children. I know that I cannot do this on my own. No amount of parenting books or advice can replace God's provision and working in my life as a mom and in my children's lives as they grow. This is only possible if I fully entrust my children's lives and future to him. I am responsible to foster the kind of environment that will help them grow to know him. I am also accountable to leading them by example.
I think back to my childhood, and recall how my parents guided and directed me, but they also allowed me to encounter God on my own. Every night before bed we read a Bible story and prayed together as a family. We talked about the day and the challenges we each faced. I remember in highschool doing a Bible study together with my mom once a week, however she would also encourage me to spend time reading the Bible and journaling, or spending time talking to God, on my own as well. These memories will always be with me, and I hope to create similar ones with my own family.
This has been and will continue to be my prayer and dream for my firstborn daughter:
"I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your heart as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God." (Ephesians 3:16-19)
I pray that she experiences a personal relationship with her heavenly father and that she would know him in an intimate and individual way that only she can. I pray as she grows, God would use me to help guide and direct her in the path he has laid out for her. As she encounters the obstacles and challenges of life, I pray she would turn to God as her refuge and strength and seek him in all things. I pray that she shines to those around her, and in her "joyful life" as her name means, people will see Jesus.
