8 Wishes I Have for My Kids
Ok guys, I totally cheated and totally looked up blogging ideas for moms.
And this one just grabbed me by the heartstrings and wouldn't let me go. I'm going to admit something hard: I pray. But I don't pray intentionally for my kids {gasp}. I don't bow my head and beg specific things from the Creator to fall on my children's head and into their paths. So here I am getting specific. Getting intentional. Getting real.
1. That my children grow up knowing their God and His Love for them. Nothing else in the world matters if they don't first have a healthy relationship with their Creator. I want them to have a such a deep love and trust in our God. Because if they do I know that everything else will fall in place. Philippians 3:8 says it all when it says, "What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ." Yes, my babies, everything else is indeed a loss compared with the knowledge of Christ.
2. That my children always possess a spirit of contentment. No matter the circumstances that they face in their lives, I want them to always have a good attitude about it. When they are on top of the world from the spelling bee that they just won, or the sleepover that they weren't invited to. I want them to learn that life is full of ups and downs and they will only ever be happy if they know that it's all about attitude. Because let's face it. Money doesn't make you happy. I'll admit that it makes life easier in some ways but not all. You can be the richest king and the unhappiest man alive if you expect your gold to fill your heart.
3. That my children are humble. I know that in the world today it is frowned upon to show any weakness or vulnerability of any kind. But I hope and pray that my kiddos are smart enough to see through this facade and realize that when you apologize first you are the strong one. When they put people ahead of themselves they are displaying Christ in His finest form. I know it's not easy and I for one am absolutely terrible at living this virtue every day, but still. Remember the acronym J-O-Y. Jesus. Others. You.
4. That they grow up in freedom. SOOOOOOO many countries do not have the privilege of growing up in freedom to do whatever they want. But my country does. Every so often I glance up at the sky and no matter how my day is going I think. "Wow. How lucky am I that there are no bombs dropping from the sky. I am not being hunted by guerrilla fighters looking to draft me into their army. I am unbelievably blessed to be here. right where I am, right now. I. Am. Blessed. And I pray that for my children. All of them. No matter their country of origin. I pray that the Lord keeps them safe until He brings them into my arms where I can wrap them up and nothing bad will ever happen to them again.
5. That their friends are the right people. Friends are the absolute best. I don't know what I would do without mine. Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves. But I want only the best people to be in my children's lives. I want them to have friends who refuse to bully, that aren't addicted to their screens, and who will tell my kid straight up when they are being jerks {I mean, ideally I won't raise kids who are jerks, but let's be real: we all have those under-caffeinated days}. I want their friends to keep their secrets, make them laugh hard, and make the summers last seemingly for years.
6. That they will never lose their innocence. I want them to be as trusting as the day were born. To never waver in their knowledge that I love them and want only what's best for them. I want them to believe the best about others. To always lend the benefit of the doubt.
7. I want my children to find their gifts early on and to pursue them all their lives. I think every Mama, from the moment she finds out that she's pregnant dreams about what their baby will be when they grow up. Will she be a ballet dancer? Will he be a fireman? A scientist? A teacher? The President? I so love watching Cubby grow into the Little Man that he is. Although he's a little too young yet to figure out what he's good at, I love watching him learn new things, kicking the soccer ball around the kitchen, and giggling while he plays. I want to be a nurturing Mama Bear.
8. That they will see the others and love them, or at the very least, be kind to them. To quote my favorite authoress of ALL TIME EVER, Jen Hatmaker in her book For the Love,
Comment below and let me know ways that you guys get intentional about praying! Do you keep a prayer journal? Set an alarm on your phone? Also do yourselves a favor and check out the books:
For the Love by the legendary Jen Hatmaker and Prayers for Your Children by James Banks!
And this one just grabbed me by the heartstrings and wouldn't let me go. I'm going to admit something hard: I pray. But I don't pray intentionally for my kids {gasp}. I don't bow my head and beg specific things from the Creator to fall on my children's head and into their paths. So here I am getting specific. Getting intentional. Getting real.
1. That my children grow up knowing their God and His Love for them. Nothing else in the world matters if they don't first have a healthy relationship with their Creator. I want them to have a such a deep love and trust in our God. Because if they do I know that everything else will fall in place. Philippians 3:8 says it all when it says, "What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ." Yes, my babies, everything else is indeed a loss compared with the knowledge of Christ.
2. That my children always possess a spirit of contentment. No matter the circumstances that they face in their lives, I want them to always have a good attitude about it. When they are on top of the world from the spelling bee that they just won, or the sleepover that they weren't invited to. I want them to learn that life is full of ups and downs and they will only ever be happy if they know that it's all about attitude. Because let's face it. Money doesn't make you happy. I'll admit that it makes life easier in some ways but not all. You can be the richest king and the unhappiest man alive if you expect your gold to fill your heart.
3. That my children are humble. I know that in the world today it is frowned upon to show any weakness or vulnerability of any kind. But I hope and pray that my kiddos are smart enough to see through this facade and realize that when you apologize first you are the strong one. When they put people ahead of themselves they are displaying Christ in His finest form. I know it's not easy and I for one am absolutely terrible at living this virtue every day, but still. Remember the acronym J-O-Y. Jesus. Others. You.
4. That they grow up in freedom. SOOOOOOO many countries do not have the privilege of growing up in freedom to do whatever they want. But my country does. Every so often I glance up at the sky and no matter how my day is going I think. "Wow. How lucky am I that there are no bombs dropping from the sky. I am not being hunted by guerrilla fighters looking to draft me into their army. I am unbelievably blessed to be here. right where I am, right now. I. Am. Blessed. And I pray that for my children. All of them. No matter their country of origin. I pray that the Lord keeps them safe until He brings them into my arms where I can wrap them up and nothing bad will ever happen to them again.
5. That their friends are the right people. Friends are the absolute best. I don't know what I would do without mine. Friends are the family that we choose for ourselves. But I want only the best people to be in my children's lives. I want them to have friends who refuse to bully, that aren't addicted to their screens, and who will tell my kid straight up when they are being jerks {I mean, ideally I won't raise kids who are jerks, but let's be real: we all have those under-caffeinated days}. I want their friends to keep their secrets, make them laugh hard, and make the summers last seemingly for years.
6. That they will never lose their innocence. I want them to be as trusting as the day were born. To never waver in their knowledge that I love them and want only what's best for them. I want them to believe the best about others. To always lend the benefit of the doubt.
7. I want my children to find their gifts early on and to pursue them all their lives. I think every Mama, from the moment she finds out that she's pregnant dreams about what their baby will be when they grow up. Will she be a ballet dancer? Will he be a fireman? A scientist? A teacher? The President? I so love watching Cubby grow into the Little Man that he is. Although he's a little too young yet to figure out what he's good at, I love watching him learn new things, kicking the soccer ball around the kitchen, and giggling while he plays. I want to be a nurturing Mama Bear.
8. That they will see the others and love them, or at the very least, be kind to them. To quote my favorite authoress of ALL TIME EVER, Jen Hatmaker in her book For the Love,
"You see them. They are picked on or mocked or completely ignored, as if they don't even matter, They pretend they don't care or can't hear, but you now they do. These years will hurt for so long. First, I hope you see them. This is harder than it sounds; you have to learn to see hurt people, because they figure out how to act invisible. Kindness needs recipients. The whole world is filled with lonely and left-out and humiliated and sad kids, and seeing them is the first step. Because they are just as precious as you. If you can learn this during the Family Years, it will change your life, because you'll develop eyes for pain, which is exactly how Jesus walked around on this earth. If your mercy radar is strong now, God can do anything with you later."Yep. That about sums it all up. That's all I want for my kids to do. Be nice to others. Follow the Golden Rule. Yep. Sounds good, Jen.
Comment below and let me know ways that you guys get intentional about praying! Do you keep a prayer journal? Set an alarm on your phone? Also do yourselves a favor and check out the books:
For the Love by the legendary Jen Hatmaker and Prayers for Your Children by James Banks!
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