"I will say to the LORD, 'My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!'"
Psalm 91:2
With all this recollecting lately about the things our family learned in anticipation of our first adoptions, I've been stirred to remember the journey of how I became so very convicted over time to model trust-based parenting with my children.
From many years ago now, the Lord began a journey in my heart to teach me more of His through parenting.
As I've grown in Him and grown more deeply connected to the Vine, a natural byproduct has been an overflow of love for my mothering role. It's been a decade and a half journey for my mom-heart now, filled with God's peace and joy which prayerfully will continue to bear good fruit for many generations yet to come.
"I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live."
Psalm 116:1-2
In tracking back, one thing I've noticed is that when habits become deeply embedded in who we just are, it's easy to forget their origins and how we became so convinced of our practices in the first place. Such methods would fall into the category of "tradition".
I believe in reevaluation and I think it's important to reevaluate our convictions upon God's Word (category: "truth") at check points along our spiritual journey to be sure we're still on the right track...especially as we mature in our faith.
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit,
of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
Hebrews 4:12
As ever-maturing Christians on a journey toward sanctification, there are times at which we realize...we've changed. For the better. We've grown. This is a good thing. It's also a good reason to stop periodically and be sure we still agree with ourselves and our practices that may be decades old, engrained from a time of lesser spiritual maturity. I hope we're always growing!
Psalm 91:2
With all this recollecting lately about the things our family learned in anticipation of our first adoptions, I've been stirred to remember the journey of how I became so very convicted over time to model trust-based parenting with my children.
From many years ago now, the Lord began a journey in my heart to teach me more of His through parenting.
As I've grown in Him and grown more deeply connected to the Vine, a natural byproduct has been an overflow of love for my mothering role. It's been a decade and a half journey for my mom-heart now, filled with God's peace and joy which prayerfully will continue to bear good fruit for many generations yet to come.
"I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live."
Psalm 116:1-2
In tracking back, one thing I've noticed is that when habits become deeply embedded in who we just are, it's easy to forget their origins and how we became so convinced of our practices in the first place. Such methods would fall into the category of "tradition".
I believe in reevaluation and I think it's important to reevaluate our convictions upon God's Word (category: "truth") at check points along our spiritual journey to be sure we're still on the right track...especially as we mature in our faith.
"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit,
of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."
Hebrews 4:12
As ever-maturing Christians on a journey toward sanctification, there are times at which we realize...we've changed. For the better. We've grown. This is a good thing. It's also a good reason to stop periodically and be sure we still agree with ourselves and our practices that may be decades old, engrained from a time of lesser spiritual maturity. I hope we're always growing!
"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 3:12-14
These thoughts considered, I've decided to check in with myself about our convictions to raise our children with attachment, gentle discipline (whole heart paideia), and trust-based parenting choices. What becomes clear quickly as I do is that I've only grown more and more passionate about such things with years and as my children have also grown. The more attached I become in my relationship with Jesus Christ, the more I desire to and am inclined to live out the same type of relationship with my family in a home filled with trust, compassion, fruit of the Spirit, understanding, empathy, availability, responsiveness, gentleness, and above all LOVE.
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:
just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."
John 13:34
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:
just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."
John 13:34
attachment: əˈtaCHmənt/-noun: an affectional tie that one person or animal forms between
himself and another specific one – a tie that binds them together in space and endures over time.
trust: trəst/-noun: firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.
"And those who know your name put their TRUST in you,
for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you."
Psalm 9:10
"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the TRUTH, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 14:6
“BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."
Acts 16:31
"Now to him who is ABLE to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
Ephesians 3:21
himself and another specific one – a tie that binds them together in space and endures over time.
trust: trəst/-noun: firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.
"And those who know your name put their TRUST in you,
for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you."
Psalm 9:10
"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the TRUTH, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me."
John 14:6
“BELIEVE in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."
Acts 16:31
"Now to him who is ABLE to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
Ephesians 3:21
"The Lord is my STRENGTH."
Exodus 15:2
Trust...it is foundational to faith. Distrust...it is a great destroyer of faith.
To think that I can be a contributor toward my children's ability to know trust is exciting. To think that I can encourage my kids to fall headlong and with trusting faith into the arms of their ready Savior spurs me on. God has modeled a parent-child relationship with us, His kids, for a reason. He set it up that way with intentionality. Everything God has planned, He has planned with purpose and our parent/child relationship with Him is no exception.
"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
John 1:12
"For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith."
Galatians 3:26
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it."
Isaiah 55:10-11
“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted."
Job 42:2
As I continue to ponder and pray through my parenting years, I am certain that God's Word has every answer to every quandary I face. He has modeled perfect trust, perfect sacrifice, perfect devotion, perfect availability, perfect discipline, perfect communion, perfect comfort, perfect compassion, perfect responsiveness, perfect forgiveness, perfect reliability, perfect parental LOVE.
As a {very imperfect} parent myself, I'm paying attention to His example.
"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us,
a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
Ephesians 5:1-2
