Three Things My Kids Taught Me

Gò0dNews on Motherhood

Three Things My Kids Taught Me

by Stephanie Shrum

Ah, the pitter-patter sound of tiny little feet running down the hallway. The prerequisite alarm that alerts you—it’s time to get up—just before the overly happy tiny humans invade your bed as though they were attacking the dawn. No more sleeping in. No more selfishness. Life has new meaning now. It revolves around the demands set by another life form, not your own. Is it all worth it? God thinks so.

Psalm 127:3 tells us that children are a gift from the Lord: a reward, even! Why would God say this? As I look back over the years of raising two girls, a few good reasons come to mind. Here are three things that my kids taught me, although I could list thousands more.

Love. When I had my first daughter, I remember feeling overwhelmed with love for her. It was unbreakable and sacrificial. I often think that this must be a glimpse of what our Heavenly Father feels for us.

When I became pregnant with my second daughter, I worried that I might not love her as much as the first. Not only did I love her as much as the first, I somehow loved them both even more. Each child is unique, as is a mother’s love for them. But somehow, it is also equally the same. Only God could make that happen.

Faith. The Bible teaches us that God will be a father to the fatherless. There were countless times when He proved this to be true. I recall one of my girls arguing with me. I was very upset. I called out to the Lord and reminded Him that He promised to be their Father. I asked Him to correct His daughter. Shortly after, my daughter came to me with an apology. She explained that she heard a sermon that helped her to see things differently. I never hesitated to go to their Heavenly Father from that point on.

Prayer. This is the big one. Girls are precious. They are sweet, whimsical creatures that leave a trail of glitter everywhere they go. However, those precious little wonders come with testing and trials as well. Through these, God taught me not only the power of prayer but also how to pray. He took me to His Word, where I learned to claim the promises for my children that only He could foreknow that

I would need. I found that God is faithful to His Word. We are called to train our children in the way they should go. I believe a mother’s love creates the tenacity that is required to hang in there in those tough times, to fight for our little ones until they are old enough and trained to fight the good fight of faith for themselves.

The overall lesson that I learned is that my world has been enriched by having them in it. I wouldn’t want it any other way!

About The Author Stephanie Shrum is the ASA for PCM/ J103/ComeOnLetsGo ministries. She is a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She is also the author/creator of the blog runninganegativesplit.com.