Children Are A Gift


Landon Jude Wieber has arrived. Our niece Lymarie and her husband Andrew welcomed their first child into their family yesterday morning. Landon decided to show up 2 weeks early, but is a healthy 6 lb 11 oz little burrito. My wife and I had the joy of meeting him yesterday afternoon and praying a brief prayer of thanksgiving and blessing over him. 
Sometimes when I hear people speak about children they speak very negatively. Words are chosen that sound almost like it's a curse to have children. I have some friends who have 6 children. When they meet people they don't usually hear things like how blessed they are. Rather they have to deal with statements like, "I feel sorry for you." God never speaks that way over children at all. Rather we find passages like, "Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him." Psalm 127:3. The Psalmist goes on to say children are, "like arrows in the hands of a warrior," (vs. 4) and, "blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them," (vs. 5). We don't use words like quiver too often. It's the container to hold arrows. The more arrows a warrior has in there the better prepared they would be for battle. 
A skilled archer can direct his arrows right where he wants them to go. As parents we're called to follow that example as well through the Proverb to, "direct (our) children onto the right path," 22:6. Raising children is a lot of work, and it's not factory work. Every child is a unique gift who learns and grows in their own individual manner. As parents we're to do our best to figure each one of them out as best we can so we can teach them in a manner that points them toward a path of righteousness.
Ultimately our children belong to God. We're stewards who care for them for a little while. When we think of stewardship we generally think of money or possessions, but it applies to our children as well. We have phrases about our earthly possessions like, "you can't take it with you," indicating that when we leave this life we leave everything behind. That's true with everything except our children. They are the only thing we will have ever had in our care that we can take with us. Not only can we, we must. These arrows that God speaks so highly of were created for eternity, just as you were. Pray for them, teach them, love them, parent them.
Little Landon seems so perfect right now, but he'll be a lot of work. His parents are now given the same assignment all parents receive. God says, "here's your gift. Now point him in the right direction." His parents will do well with their gift, just as you are doing well with yours. You may feel like the task is overwhelming at times, but you're doing much better than you think you are. When my children were small someone said to me, "you don't have to be a great parent, but you do have to be a good one." Keep doing your best, and trust in your Heavenly Father to work through you to direct those arrows. You got this.

Following the Son,

James A Williams

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