Walk This Way

There are many aspects of parenting that can amaze us, thrill us, captivate us, overwhelm us, and ultimately take us to our knees...what a job we have been given, isn't it?  I never cease to be surprised at what the next turn in the road brings for new joys and new challenges, but there is one thing that always remains constant and steady...

    God has mapped out the path we are to take.

We may not have the full picture of the journey - in fact no one really does - but God has already mapped it out and He has gone ahead, cleared the way and is prepared to direct us.  One of the most reassuring verses in the Bible for me, is found in Proverbs 3:5&6, where it says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." I am told that a more accurate translation from the original would say he directs our paths, even though they are not always straight.  Either way, it is so good to know that when we are TRUSTING in God with all our heart and not just depending on our opinions, He WILL show us the way to go.

It causes me to reflect on the task we have in raising up our children...each day as we work, and talk, and laugh, and live life; as parents, we are (or should be) laying foundations in our children's lives that will give them a map to follow as they grow older.  I remember author and speaker, Sally Clarkson, saying that her adult son told her that he could hear her voice in his head reminding him of where to go and what was right to do.  What a legacy to leave, as long as what we leave in our children's heads is love and truthfulness that lines up with God's Word. 

I believe that each day as we love, train and equip our children with daily life lessons, we are laying a foundation in their hearts that will guide them in their years ahead.  As we teach them to obey us, as parents, we are teaching them to obey God once they are grown.  My hope for each of my children is that they will be as in Isaiah 30:21, where it says...
          "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it'."