A Vow To My Children

Parenting Without Fear

I don’t think anyone would disagree with me when I say that our children are living in a completely different culture than we were growing up in not all that long ago.

Although some changes have been good, there are many that weigh heavy on my heart and cause fear and worry to grip me when I think of raising my children in the world we live in today. God created women with certain instincts and at the top of that list is the strong desire to love, nurture, and protect. Especially our children. When this is out of our control it is easy to resort to fear and doubt.

Learning To Trust

But what if instead of being consumed with fear we simply learned to trust?

 To trust a God who is still on the throne and ultimately in control. The state of the world does not take Him by surprise.

To trust that even in the midst of evil He can bring about good and that He saw fit to place us here at this specific time in history to raise these specific children for His glory.

To trust that He is a compassionate Father who delights to give good gifts to His children. He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble.

 To trust that He gives us hope and a future and He will never leave us nor forsake us.

The Bible is full of God’s promises to us and He actually expects us to believe them!

Resting In God’s Grace

Instead of focusing on what I cannot change, I am learning to trust in His promises, rest in His grace and simply be the best mother I can to these sweet kiddos He has given me.

To my children I promise:

To cherish every little bit of your laughter. I know you will soon grow up and leave our home and I will be longing for the days of giggles and tiny feet running through the house. I will have memories of you jumping off the couch headfirst into a massive pile of pillows, squealing in delight as we played tag and hide n seek and tickling you until you were breathless and asking for more.  

To embrace your love for adventure and enthusiasm for life instead of allowing the continued lack of quiet in the house and my already exhausted state to overwhelm me.

To seek your forgiveness when I have wronged you or let you down and to simply admit when I’ve messed up.

To put my perfectionism tendencies aside and remember that spending time with you and truly being present is of so much more value than keeping a spotless house and cooking the perfect meal.

To discipline you when necessary. I do this because I love you. We all need correction and instruction in order to learn. Although you don’t fully understand it now, I promise you that it breaks my heart much more than it does yours.

To give you my full attention and really listen to what you have to say. You are your own unique person growing and developing before my very eyes. What you have to say is important to me.

To encourage you to use the gifts and talents God has given you and to always be your biggest fan.

To fiercely protect you, not only physically but to also protect your heart. Some may call it overbearing or sheltering, but the truth is that there are certain influences that a young innocent mind should be protected from. That is my job.

To encourage you to continue your love for the great outdoors. God’s creation is absolutely amazing and a gift for all of us to enjoy. Star gazing, bike rides with Daddy, hiking, weekly family walks to see “Two-tone”, multicolored sunsets, and cuddles with Sammy will forever remain precious memories for me.

To teach you to show respect and kindness.

To share the love of Christ with you and teach you all about the man who took on our sin and died in our place so that we can be forgiven and spend eternity with Him.

To read and study God’s Word with you and teach you to spend time in it every day. “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Psalm119:105).

To pray for you daily. I will pray for many things throughout the years; the development of your character, the friends you will have who will influence you and vice versa. I will pray for your future spouse. But above all else I will simply pray that you fall in love with your Creator and Savior and live a life that will honor Him.

You are the most precious and underserved gifts. Thank you for allowing me to spend the best days of my life loving, teaching, and guiding you. You bring me joy just by being you.

I love you,

Mommy