ENJOYING MY CHILDREN

(Josh and Shauna)















(With Josh after graduation)

Wow. Josh was one of only four graduate students up on stage, since he was chosen as the outstanding student for the Engineering department at Notre Dame. His name will be engraved on a plague that hangs in the office for Graduate Students. They presented him with a beautiful award that looks like a glass square with a golden engraved plate inside. He also got a check which means he and Shauna can go off together to celebrate their tenth anniversary (isn’t God good?)

When Joshua’s amazing achievements were being read I sat silently, thanking the Lord for the way He has held onto Josh and directed his steps. As a parent there were times when I nearly panicked over our firstborn. He could out think me from an early age so I had to try to out-pray him. While I’m not (in anyway) taking credit for all of his brilliance and hard work and good heart, I am acknowledging that the Lord has graciously intervened when Josh needed a helping hand to push him in a righteous direction. I am so thankful for this.

Today I am still praying and trusting the Lord as the Good Shepherd of my children, their spouses and our grandchildren. Only He knows how He has made each one. He understands what they need to live life joyfully. He can carry them in their sorrow and dance over them with singing in time of triumph. They are His, from the moment of conception, on loan to us to enjoy.

As a young mother this became my primary goal—to enjoy my children. I recognized that Scripture calls children a gift so I asked myself, When I give a gift to someone I love, why do I do it? I concluded I want them to enjoy it.

So, I figured that when the Lord gave me our precious four gifts He wanted me to delight in his presents (and be thankful to Him for His wise generosity).

Basic to enjoying a child is openly accepting and loving them for who they are and delighting in watching them unfold. It’s sharing their wonder as they discover their world. It’s liking to be with them. It’s not working to make them into someone different, but helping in every way to aid them in becoming who they are created to be. It doesn’t mean you don’t teach and give boundaries but it means (at least for me) you follow God’s pattern in the garden. Lots of free provision for fun and ‘yeses’ and only one ‘no.’ You might say, ‘Well that didn’t go so well, did it?’ That actually brings me comfort because God, the perfect the parent had disobedient children, and although He sure didn’t approve of their choice, He loved them and made provision to rescue them.

Well, I’m rambling. I just felt, as I saw our son cross that stage and be recognised at Doctor Cameron—Professor Cameron, that I felt thankful that when I think back to the years of raising him I smile, because we had so much fun and I sure did enjoy being his mom (still do.)