Monday, June 18, 2012

Training My Son

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6  

Every day...all day we are either training our children to be about their Lord's business...or training them to be about their business.  Here is an example of how to train your children to be about their business...may it give you wisdom and encourage your heart to choose a better way...to train them to be about the Lord's business.

 I was gone helping out at the thrift store for about four hours.  On my arrival home my very sweet and compassionate son came skipping down the hill where he and his father were working on setting up new cow fencing...he came into our home saying "Hi MOM" and proceeded to walk across the room...in his dirty shoes...and reached out to give me a hug with his dirty self (he was filthy)...and did I return his joy at seeing him?  Did I reach out to receive his precious gift of a welcome home hug?  Did I train him correctly - teaching him that people are more important than dirt?  NOPE...I did not!  Instead I said, "Oh, you are so dirty...outside with you"....My face was not full of joy - there probably wasn't even a smile on it...instead I'm sure I had a scowl that said "ugh..more dirt to clean up"!
 
"These are the ones who give without counting the cost."

I should have had a face full joy to see my son who so loves and accepts me...he tells me often that I am beautiful ( even when I've been working out in the garden and am covered in...DIRT ) and that he loves me.

You should have seen his shoulders droop, his eyes shadow, his smile diminish...all because of a little dirt!  What I wouldn't give for a "start over" button..."re-do"..."scratch that moment"...but the damage was done.

Wow, I failed big time!  I did apologized and explained to him that I was wrong and should not have worried about the dirt...but oh, I will never get that moment back again.  And I trained him to think being clean and "perfectly" presentable is how you will be accepted and loved...oh the damage! 

However, I believe the Holy Spirit pricked my heart right then and there and I was able to take a broken hearted boy, who had been rejected by his mom, and turn it into a lesson.  A lesson that showed my son that dirt is just dirt...and that people are valuable. 

This outcome would not have come about if I had not been seeking the Lord, reading His word, and asking Him to create in me a clean heart - daily.  Do you have a heart that is walking after His spirit?  Whom will the Lord send your way today?  Whom do you need to ask for forgiveness from? 

Mamas - treasure your moments with your young men, don't throw them away like I did, cherish them, embrace them...ask the Lord to help you to train them. 

For these young men, the ones who are so loving and compassionate, are our doctors, teachers, veteranarians, pastors...these are the men that fall on the grenade to save the battalion...these are the ones who give without counting the cost, because their mamas trained them to be about their Lord's business.
All my "men" going for an overnight camping trip


Pslams 144:12 -

That our sons may be as plants
and our daughters may be pillars sculptured in palace style.


My Blog List