Especially Special

Recently, I had an interesting conversation with the check out lady at the grocery store.  You see, I was buying the ingredients for our Christmas cookies and candies, and she recognized the ingredients list and said “Somebody’s getting ready to make fudge!”   She lit up, and went on to say how she had such fond memories of holiday baking and making fudge into the wee hours of the morning with her mother when she was young.   Her mother has been gone 19 years now, and her father 21 years…yes she shared a lot in those few moments.

Then her tone soured a bit, and she pointed out that making that stuff was just too expensive and took too much time, and she just couldn’t see why I’d go to all that trouble.  I told her about my two young children and how, when I’ve been gone for 19 years I want them to light up at the thought of making fudge and cookies with me.  It’s those ordinary things that make the most special memories.

We woke up last Sunday to find that the weather prediction was right for once, and we were having an ice storm.  (Yes, that’s all ice, no snow.)

We spent the day at home, as a family, in our pajamas!   I made us a sit down breakfast of ham, eggs, fried apples and biscuits.  We decorated the tree, and the sunporch and Tom and the girls put up lights in places I really wasn’t too thrilled about.

In the evening I took out our punch bowl and whipped up a batch of punch.  (1 bottle cranberry juice, 1 bottle ginger ale and some frozen strawberries).  I made dip and we had our own little party, in our pajamas.    One of the girls said “This is the best day EVER!”

It was an especially special day…and one that will cause them to light up when they will look back on it years from now.

A True Momma

Recently, we had friends visit from out of state.  We spent the day together at the park playing and feeding the ducks.   While feeding the ducks, we noticed that one of the mother ducks wouldn’t let one of the ducklings get any of the food, she kept it all for herself.  

The very wise 10 year old boy with us spoke up “That’s not a true momma.  A true momma makes sure her kids are taken care of before she thinks about herself.”

His comments took me back to Ethiopia, and several ladies I’d met there.   These are true momma’s, who loved their children so much they were willing to sacrifice their hearts and empty arms to ensure that their children would live and flourish, without them.

You see the depth of their love in their eyes, as the look at photos of their growing, safe children in another land.

These two women, and the comment about a “true momma” remind me of the passage in 1 Kings 3:16-28 where two women were arguing over a baby.  King Solomon said to cut the baby in half, the TRUE momma put her own feelings aside and said “No, let her have him that he may live.”  Solomon knew this to be the TRUE mother because she was willing to sacrifice her own wants, that he may live.

A true momma looks beyond her womb, her skin color and her culture.  She sacrifices of herself daily to ensure that her children are cared for and raised to know and love God. 

These three women are true mommas, brought together by the love of their children and the love of their God,  whose children we all are….

The Value of a Child

When Roe vs. Wade was passed, and abortion because legal, there was a great shifting that took place.   Suddenly, unborn babies were no longer people, they became “decisions”.  As I’ve said before, at that time the seed of death was planted into the children of this nation.  We’ve reaped harvests like Columbine more than once as those born after that “decision” carry on with their lack of concern for human life.

However, I’ve noticed something else that is equally as distressing, even in the church.  Parenting has become optional.  Yes, you may carry your child full term and bring it into the world…but do you PARENT?  Do you sacrifice your wants and even needs to make sure that the child that God has entrusted to you is raised and trained up?

Hillary Rodham Clinton made the comment that “It takes a village to raise a child.”  Sadly the church has fallen into that mindset as well.   Passing the buck of parenting off to any person or organization that has an opening; and then expecting to get the good parent seal of approval.  But, did you DO anything in your child’s life?

Recently, a friend asked if I knew of any “family friendly” churches.  By that she meant one where adults and children sit together, as a family and learn God’s Word.  The answer was no.  So I posted the question on Facebook to see if I could help her out.  From the “charismatic” camp I got several comments and even sarcastic emails, quick to point out that  having a “children's church” is a sign of a thriving church.  But is it?

Is abdicating our Biblical responsibility to train up our children to our church (no matter how good) parenting them?  Parenting, and training our children begins at home.  The responsibility falls squarely in our laps.   Anything else, is extra, sprinkles on the frosting so to speak.

Our church actually had a “family Sunday”, so that children could sit with their parents to learn how to sit and listen during a service.  You know what happened?  On those Sunday’s 90% of the people with kids stayed home.   They weren’t about to take the responsibility of even SITTING with their own child during church.

You will invest your time in whatever you value.  If you value your children, you’ll invest time in them.  You’ll take the time to teach them God’s word.  You’ll take the time to teach them how to behave.  You will take the time to know where they are, who they are with and what they are doing.  

Just so you know that I’m not totally “anti-children’s church”, I’ll point out that I teach the elementary age kids in our church, almost every week.  Recently, I asked a very simple question in class, one that anyone should know.   Almost everyone looked blank.  So I asked my daughter if she knew the answer.  Before she could respond one of the other kids in the class blurted out “That’s not fair, you DO stuff with her!”

Pretty sad, isn’t it?  What’s even sadder, is that this wasn’t a kid from the “bus ministry”.  This wasn’t a kid from the “wrong side of town”.  This wasn’t a kid with a rough background.   This was the child of one of the LEADER’S in our church.

Sadly, children pick up on this all too quickly.   Your child is looking for someone to care enough to invest time into them. If it’s not you, it may very well be the pimp or dealer on the corner.

Value your children!  They were valuable enough for Jesus to shed his blood for.