When I started my blog and Instagram account less than a year back, my intent was to share my parenting journey as a new stay-at-home mom, and as a new mom of three. Who knew a year later, I would be homeschooling in the midst of a pandemic and blogging about how I make education meaningful in our home. But no matter what we consume ourselves with, parenting is still the most important job we have.
I’ve been meaning to write about purposeful parenting/influencing. Sometimes as parents, we compare our kids with the world and want the best for them. It is wonderful to watch them growing up. We track every milestone they reach, we take pictures of every new thing they do, we celebrate every birthday, we store their artwork, and preserve every note they write for us. Most parents assume their kids will turn out like one of them or someone in the family. We get excited when they show emotion, especially love. We get intrigued when they develop unique personality traits. We become confused when they don’t take on our temperaments. And we get disappointed when they don’t exhibit the same talents as we do.
We wonder why they did not inherit our talents, or why they don’t have an interest in the things we do. We have expectations that our kids will do the things we never could do or become someone we wish we could have been. It is such a natural process for parents to have expectations of their children and it is also ok to influence them to make good choices in their lives. But here’s the catch.
In the midst of all our good intentions, let’s just take a moment to remember that God charters their destiny. For this reason, we need to lean on him for his guidance on how to raise and influence our children. God has designed our little ones and has deliberately chosen the gifts and talents for them so that they can use them for his glory. Let’s also remember that every child is meant for greatness in their own unique way and he has chartered that path for them too.
I know this verse has been quoted a lot, and for good reason. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”- Jeremiah 29:11. It is a beautiful promise, and while the journey may be bumpy, the promise is also real.
