For those of you who have just dropped by, I'm digging for treasure in God's Word this month. Matthew 6:33 promises, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." I believe "all these things" includes the treasures I'm seeking in the diaper pail --the jewels of joy, nuggets of wisdom and pearls of peace--but before I seek the gems, I must seek the Giver of good gifts (James 1:17). I'd be honored if you'd join me!
Seek First: The Choice
Today's Treasure: Read James 1:17 Believe it or not, I’ve come to realize that it was not God’s inflexibility that caused him to refuse my cries for a different piece of clay back when my son was 13 months old (remember the “nursery floor moment?”), rather, His lavish grace. In His perfect wisdom, the Potter knew that the very child I felt unequipped to raise would be a key instrument in my quest to become the woman God has made me to be. These days, I am less likely to long for the “candy store approach” to choosing my children and more likely to agree with author and mom of three, Laurie Winslow Sargent. She writes:
I’m actually quite relieved that I didn’t have to choose my own kids’ characteristics. Good grief, I can’t even decide what color to paint the living room. Friends who have built homes from scratch-forced to make hundreds of small decisions about every gadget in the kitchen and bath- tell me that in hindsight, living with some of those decisions is different from what they imagined. I guess you just don’t know what it’s like to use the toaster until you’ve moved in, then try to plug it into an outlet that’s in the wrong place.
In my wildest dreams, I could have never imagined the intriguing variety of attributes my own children would have, let alone have chosen between those possible features. After all, I would have no idea what it would be like to actually LIVE with a child with those traits. Would I have chosen stubbornness as a desired attribute? Not likely. But living with stubborn kids has helped me appreciate and respect their positive persistence and determination. And my being forced to deal with less-than-compliant people has grown my own character as well.
I’m grateful that my only decision with each pregnancy was simply to CHOOSE the child I’d been given and to accept each one as a gift (Delight in Your Child’s Design).
In the days to come, may we CHOOSE the children we’ve been given and celebrate our marvelously-made-masterpieces!
Parent’s Pondering: How can I “choose” my children today? Take time to tell your children why you are glad God CHOSE to entrust them to you.
