Adventures In Parenting

                                                                   
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July 4, 2010

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.  Psalm 127:3-5

Abraham, Hanna, Joseph & Mary; these are a few of the outstanding examples of parents presenting their children to God.  Abraham was called by God to sacrifice his son Isaac on an altar to show his faithfulness to God.  Hanna prayed to God for a son, with the promise that she would in turn “give him to the Lord all the days of his life” (1 Sam. 1:11).  Joseph & Mary brought Jesus “up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord” (Luke 2:22).  Each of these parents understood the three way spiritual connection between themselves and their children and God.

That connection still exists today.  Through the remarkable and mysterious process of bringing children into this world, God has invited us to participate in the work of creation.  When He created us, we were created in His image.  Our children in turn bear both our image and God’s.  As parents we begin to understand just a little better how God must feel about us; His pride, His concerns, His love, His frustrations, His joys, and His sorrows.  We cannot escape those emotions when we are so connected to someone, and have such responsibility for them, and yet they are still empowered with their own mind and will to choose.

That is why God puts so much emphasis on a parent’s responsibility to teach and train, nurture and admonish their children in the way of the Lord.

Last Saturday I stood at the front of a church with my son.  Six feet away, another father stood next to his daughter.  We each had come release our children to make their own vows and life.  We felt joy, and yes, a little sadness.  But the whole point of putting an arrow in the bow is to draw it back and release it.  It can’t do what it was designed to do if it stays in the quiver.  It must be released.

Those of us who have been parents for a while understand how important and difficult that responsibility is.  Most of us would love to be able to keep our children, well….as children.  But we can’t, we just have to keep praying and trusting God that he will guide them in His service as they live their lives as adults.  Free to serve God as He calls them.
Father we thank you for our children.  Help us as parents to ‘teach them in the way they should go’.  You know what it is like to let your son go, so help us when our time comes to release our children into the world.  Help us to carefully aim them and help us to trust you that you will guide them to the right target.  Watch over them as you have watched over us.        - John

John Wheeler ~ Denver, Colorado                                                                       (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

John Wheeler is the University Church of Christ congregational minister.