Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road; when you lie down and when you get up (Deuteronomy 6:5-7, NIV).
Okay, I had to look it up and edit a few words....
I am drawn to these verses because of the "Impress them on your children" portion. My boys are 13 and nearly 11. Between adolescence, pre-adolescence, and our major life transition, our family life is rocky right now. Most days I feel like a parental failure - and I don't say that because I want to bunch of people to validate me. Parenting is the toughest role I've ever held, and it is the most valuable role I've even been given.
More than anything in this world, I want my sons to know God, and to follow hard after Him. There are no guarantees. I work with people every day who make bad decisions - with and without God. I see my own kids in some of their eyes, and I grieve - both for the individual, and for his/her parents. I can't imagine how hard it is to watch adult (or adolescent) children fail or struggle because of poor personal decisions. It makes my insides quiver if I think about it too long.
Parenting - from pre-conception to death - is a out of our earthly control. Children of good parents make messes just like children of poor parents overcome. I must rely on prayer - lots of prayer; setting an intentional life example; giving daily guidance - with and without their realizing it; deep faith in God; and immeasurable grace - towards my boys, from my boys, and from God. The future is unknown, and I can't control every thought, action, and choice of my children. I can't transform the influence of culture - though I certainly attempt to compensate for it every day. The daily concerns are overwhelming at times, and I think it is only going to grow more complex over the next 8+ years. Memories of the last 13 years feel like a walk in the park! Am I depressing anyone, yet?
For all of these reasons, Deuteronomy 6:5-7 helps me focus and gives me strength. My children are a gift from God to Steve and me. I trust that He is equipping us to handle their unique needs - even when I don't feel strong enough for the job. These verses remind me how impressionable they are, and I pray that what I share at home, in the car, in the morning, and in the evening will be transformed by Holy Spirit into a language that speaks Truth to their hearts - whether or not I do it perfectly by my (or another's) standards.
Parenting - wow - what a trip!
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