This was the title of what I taught to our Moms group this morning at South Bay Church. I love teaching in this type of environment, but I go through a lot of processing to get there. And while the results are good (I hope), the path to getting there is somewhat painful.
When you commit yourself to teaching on a subject, it seems like you are given a dose of experience right along with it.
Maybe it’s for clarity.
Maybe it’s a test.
But it certainly makes for some stress and tension along the way. Oddly enough, I enjoy it, and while the process isn’t exactly the most enjoyable, it is one that teaches me most and forces me to grow (apparently God knows I need some forcing along the way).
I’ve spent the last 3-4 weeks analyzing the subject of the reaching your child’s heart. And maybe I won’t fully get it until I’m on the other side (and my kids are adults), but I am going to commit to keep learning and figuring it out.
It all boils down to this:
If my kids get to the end of high school with a full ride to Stanford, can play multiple instruments, speak multiple languages, and exudes with ambition, but they don’t want to have anything to do with me, have I succeeded as a mom?
Even worse, if they grow to be successful, start a great family, make good money, but they don’t love and follow Jesus, have I succeeded?
Whenever I’m faced with a situation and have to choose between two seemingly good things, I think to myself, which one will help me reach their heart most?
It drives just about everything I do as a mom.
I may not do it all perfectly, I’ve made some mistakes along the way, but rest assured, I will not go down without a fight. There are days where I see the hope of what I’m after and there are days when I feel like I’m in the middle of a boxing ring.
Nevertheless, I’ll keep getting up. I’ll keep fighting. I’ll keep pursuing my kids heart.
When we get to the end of our lives and all is said and done, the only thing that matters is our relationships. Accomplishments and pedigrees won’t mean a whole lot. Relationships extend beyond our lifetime and into eternity. I want to stay focused on that which lasts.
Come back tomorrow and I’ll share more about what I talked about. The most fun part of parenting… Discipline! (just kidding on the fun part).