From Tots to Teens ~ Summer

I pray that you are all having a bless and fun summer with your children! Summer time has been great for our family!  How many you can’t believe today is August 1st?  I say this every summer - “this season seems to be the fastest one all year!” It has been a time of restoration.

 A time to rest. A time to play. A time to swim. A time to explore. A time to learn new things. A time to master new skills. A time to dig deeper into His truths for our family. A time to learn what love is and means. A time to put our faith to work in our home and lives.

 You all know the story Solomon tells in Ecclesiastes 3 – there is a season and time for everything. And every season must come to end as another one begins. So it is with life.

 We as a family are entering a new season and are learning to embrace every detail God has revealed to us. With this new season comes many new opportunities to trust Him, obey Him, cling tightly to Him, thank Him, praise Him and worship Him. I continue to learn and be amazed at all that God desires to do for us through every season in our lives. Sometimes God will allow the storms and calm us. Sometimes He will calm the storms and bring us peace. Other times He will ask us to look above the storms and up to Him – who will take care of both the storm and us. I continue to learn how precious is His faithfulness in our lives. God is showing us through each of our children, they too enter into seasons and we must learn how to weather them well. As we enter into them together we must learn how to stand strong in His word and truths – not fall into the trap of their behavior. As we walk through the winds blowing around us at times almost blowing us over we must be still and know that He is still God. We must look at our children during the hard seasons and remember a new one is just around the corner. As their rock in the storms of life – we the parents must show them how we are trusting in our ROCK Jesus Christ to see us through them.

God continues to speak to me that I am to be their greatest example of His Son.   That I am to disciple them as He did Jesus.  That everything they need to know about God the Father I will seek out and share with them as they grow in strength and stature.  That until they are able to fly into His arms and love alone – my job is to help them learn all they can to live a life that will glorify God no matter the season they are in.

I thank God seasons come and go.  Because some seasons that we go through as parents of 9 children – several under 5 yrs old – are tough, long and truly take all that I have to give to get through it.   When I am weak He is faithfully strong.   When I am losing my patience He gives me His.   When I am frustrated, He helps me to be long-suffering.  When I am not showering them with His love – He quickly comes in and loves all over me to remind me to pour all that He blesses me with into them.   I am learning to run to God more and more each day to survive this season of parenting.   The summer days can be hot, blistering hot and very long.   However, God always brings a cool summer breeze that washes over me and restores me for another day.

Wishing you the sweetest of final summer days with your children as you prepare for the next season to come.  No matter what season you are in – remember this too shall pass and another season is not too far behind.