CHILDREN ARE A BLESSING
So many times we don’t look at children like they are a blessing. It seems like the world looks at children like they are a responsibility. And even though they are certainly a responsibility, they are also a blessing.
Proverbs 17:6
”Grandchildren are the crown of the aged,
and the glory of children is their fathers. that children are actually crown to the aged.”
So when you can raise your kids and you see your kids raise their kids, it’s saying right there that that’s a crown for grandma and grandpa. They are a blessing from God. And especially when you see them making wise choices in life, it’s awesome to watch that happen.
Matthew 18:10
“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in Heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.”
It’s saying here that He actually assigns angels just for them and that their eyes are always on the children. So I can just imagine, the angels are taking their pointers from God so they know what to do, when to do it, and how to keep the children safe. But their eyes are always on our children. That’s how important our children are to God.
3 John 1:4
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”
It is so awesome to see your children walk in truth. The reason why the model for our ministry exists like it does, with bringing the parents and the children under one roof is so different is because it’s really hard. It’s hard when a person is addicted to drugs and alcohol. They are not thinking with their right mind, and they’re certainly not parenting with the right thoughts in their minds or in their hearts. So we used to say to them, “Do you want your kids back?” And we have changed that now. We don’t ask them, “Do you want your kids back?”We say, “Do you want to be a parent?” There’s a difference between getting your kids back and wanting to be a parent.
IT’S NOT A FORMULA
One of the things that I want to make very clear is that this is not a formula. Because sometimes parents can be amazing, Godly parents, great leaders, love the Lord with all their heart, have an environment in their home that is nurturing and loving and our children can still walk away from the Lord. If this happens/happened to you, know this. Those kids have a high probability of coming back to know Jesus. And that was exactly what happened with my husband. I was not raised on the Word or in church or anything like that. But he was raised in a really Godly home. So when he started doing things try to “fit in,” it became a rebellion of his heart later when he was trying to defend why he made those choices. But he knew where to come back to. He knew that when things were falling apart, he was going to walk into the church and he was going to find relief. He said, “I felt like I could walk off the edge. I didn’t know where to turn, but I knew where it was safe and it was safe in the house of God.”
I ALWAYS KNEW MY KIDS WERE A BLESSING
The very first time that I held Tabby in my hands and I looked at her and I said, “She’s perfect. I’m never going to let anything hurt you. I’m never going to let anything ever come against you.” And I meant it with all my heart. My mama heart was devoted to that beautiful little girl. And then after I started taking a drink when she was a few weeks old and and I went to what was comfortable. I (*thought*) I knew that I could cope by drowning some of my fears in something that would take away my feelings. But I felt that blessing. I knew that she was a gift from God.
ACTING LIKE MY KIDS WERE A BLESSING
So let’s fast forward seven years, and I have my second child in my arms. Same thing, I felt that maternal bond, “I’m never gonna let anything happen to you. I am never ever going to ever let anything come against you.” And what ended up happening was because I did not dive into Jesus, but I instead dove into my addictions, again. I neglected, taking care of the blessing that God gave me. I was putting my eyes on myself, I became selfish once again. But I always knew that my kids were a blessing. The only thing that made me act like they were a blessing was when I completely surrendered to Christ myself because He gave me his heart. He gave me his ability to see them and their needs above me and my own needs. And out of that relationship with Him, then I became a parent who wanted nothing but the best for my kids. That first look in my kid’s eyes, when I looked down and I said, “nothing’s ever going to happen to you, I’m going to take care of you” that came back only in the right way because I was backed by my Creator.