The Inward Qualities That Are A Treasure
My son recently finished Army Basic Training at Fort Jackson. I listened to him tell stories about this and that - things that happened while he was there. My heart felt so big as I, like Mary, "...kept all these things and pondered them in her heart..." (Luke 2:19). In this case, pondering it all in MY heart.
Raising a child with a sincere heart to love and honor Christ in this world is not an easy task. It takes the child-like faith God wants us to have as parents to honor Him by sharing our lives and teaching with them. I've heard often and truly believe "more is caught than taught", but I also believe that alongside what is caught, can come with it, just as much taught. But the things they catch are much deeper than we realize. They can catch things from our example by who we reach out to and the reason why. The direction of our life and why it had to be the way it was even when times were hard. The need to forgive quickly and the hard apologies that need said to bring reconciliation. The way of mercy toward others and the tender, sweet grace we offer others whose lives may look quite differently. Our perspective on life and who Jesus really is and how He came to seek and save the lost and not drive them away with harsh opinions and rhetoric/set mindsets. We have definitely not been the perfect of examples, but they see and perceive so much and when you may be afraid you've lost them, you realize that they caught way more than you ever thought - and not only did they catch it, they are living out their faith in such simple ways without the need to be religious to let the life that is Christ's, overflow.
This is where my heart is exploding right now as I sit here with my eighteen year old son who is sitting on the bed next to mine. I feel so happy inside as all the things I've felt in my heart about him growing up has become reality in his life. I dare not tell him that I know certain things because sometimes if they hear their Mother making bold statements, they can tend to get a little passive-aggressive. But recently being shut out of the world and into a very harsh and rigid environment brought out some brilliant displays of light from my son's life. He did things for others no one knew about. He wasn't recognized or awarded. He did things that would make every mothers heart proud - but none so, more than myself, who watched him grow up and heard all the things spoken over him from this one and that and have seen the suffering that he faced and the rejection that made him into the most compassionate and caring person he is today. I see how he cares deeply for the ones who are hurting and lag behind, the ones who can hardly go on and yet that encouraging word or that simple, yet kind, straightforward word to them is done for their benefit so that they can move forward with bright futures. Sometimes love puts on a strong face for the sake of the future. Sometimes it makes the sacrifice to carry the weapons of others and let's them hang onto the back of its pack and helps drag them to the finish-line at 2:00am in the dark woods. Sometimes it does more work than it should or would and then finds a bit of sleep in an empty locker. Sometimes love shares its food even when left with hardly nothing. And on days where time is available and the only thing allowed to read is the Bible, it gives away it's only one and tells the other about wonderful stories to read in it and the young man he shared it with is amazed. He had never read anything like that before. Love sometimes grieves for the ones who failed their test and are left behind and tells us in detail about these precious ones and what they had to go through to think about starting the process all over again. Or calls them on family day to make sure they get a ride over to get something to eat with your family so that they aren't alone.
This boy of mine! Oh how words fail to describe how I feel right now about him. Of all the things that others think are most important. Of all the things others would admire of accomplishments or of life's direction done in a certain layed-out order.....I am most proud of the person my son has become. It is that inner quality that looks for rewards only to come in heaven. And the suffering in this world....the lost, the lonely, the rejected, the discouraged, can find that one to show them love and an encouraging word and they make it forward to victory.
Raising a child with a sincere heart to love and honor Christ in this world is not an easy task. It takes the child-like faith God wants us to have as parents to honor Him by sharing our lives and teaching with them. I've heard often and truly believe "more is caught than taught", but I also believe that alongside what is caught, can come with it, just as much taught. But the things they catch are much deeper than we realize. They can catch things from our example by who we reach out to and the reason why. The direction of our life and why it had to be the way it was even when times were hard. The need to forgive quickly and the hard apologies that need said to bring reconciliation. The way of mercy toward others and the tender, sweet grace we offer others whose lives may look quite differently. Our perspective on life and who Jesus really is and how He came to seek and save the lost and not drive them away with harsh opinions and rhetoric/set mindsets. We have definitely not been the perfect of examples, but they see and perceive so much and when you may be afraid you've lost them, you realize that they caught way more than you ever thought - and not only did they catch it, they are living out their faith in such simple ways without the need to be religious to let the life that is Christ's, overflow.
This is where my heart is exploding right now as I sit here with my eighteen year old son who is sitting on the bed next to mine. I feel so happy inside as all the things I've felt in my heart about him growing up has become reality in his life. I dare not tell him that I know certain things because sometimes if they hear their Mother making bold statements, they can tend to get a little passive-aggressive. But recently being shut out of the world and into a very harsh and rigid environment brought out some brilliant displays of light from my son's life. He did things for others no one knew about. He wasn't recognized or awarded. He did things that would make every mothers heart proud - but none so, more than myself, who watched him grow up and heard all the things spoken over him from this one and that and have seen the suffering that he faced and the rejection that made him into the most compassionate and caring person he is today. I see how he cares deeply for the ones who are hurting and lag behind, the ones who can hardly go on and yet that encouraging word or that simple, yet kind, straightforward word to them is done for their benefit so that they can move forward with bright futures. Sometimes love puts on a strong face for the sake of the future. Sometimes it makes the sacrifice to carry the weapons of others and let's them hang onto the back of its pack and helps drag them to the finish-line at 2:00am in the dark woods. Sometimes it does more work than it should or would and then finds a bit of sleep in an empty locker. Sometimes love shares its food even when left with hardly nothing. And on days where time is available and the only thing allowed to read is the Bible, it gives away it's only one and tells the other about wonderful stories to read in it and the young man he shared it with is amazed. He had never read anything like that before. Love sometimes grieves for the ones who failed their test and are left behind and tells us in detail about these precious ones and what they had to go through to think about starting the process all over again. Or calls them on family day to make sure they get a ride over to get something to eat with your family so that they aren't alone.
This boy of mine! Oh how words fail to describe how I feel right now about him. Of all the things that others think are most important. Of all the things others would admire of accomplishments or of life's direction done in a certain layed-out order.....I am most proud of the person my son has become. It is that inner quality that looks for rewards only to come in heaven. And the suffering in this world....the lost, the lonely, the rejected, the discouraged, can find that one to show them love and an encouraging word and they make it forward to victory.
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