Resurrection Day

Oh, Happy day! He has risen. Death and sin have been defeated ultimately... now to allow that justifying fact to penetrate every fiber of who I am....

My parenting.
My parenting has been really challenged lately by two things, really. One: the ages of my sweet babes. Halie, is 17, Caleb is 2 (almost 3, in May), Abraham is 1, and Noa Grace is 12 weeks (as of this Wednesday). Halie is about to graduate from high school in less than a month. Lots of emotions there. In fact, I just typed out a whole page about that sweet girl, but decided against including it in this post.

The fact that we have three children who are under the age of three really hit me today. Today. Easter Sunday 2012. We had a cookout with our church family and man! it was difficult managing everyone. And I don't like just trying to "manage." I want to *enjoy* them all for each respective stage that they are in. But wow, it's tough. Sometimes, as the Lord is revealing to my heart, I just want them to, as my friend Melisa says, "act right." I realize that this is most telling of the fact that I am not focusing on the bigger issue-- their hearts. What I really need to desire is that they would each be reconciled to God, through Christ. Then and only then can they be taught (by the Spirit, really-- in me and in them) to love and obey God. I long for them to be obedient. BUT I want them to obey because that is the way that we love God, not because it makes me as Mama happy.

The second thing that has challenged me in parenting lately is that book that I was telling you about in my last post. "Give Them Grace." I wanted to throw the book at the wall and yet nestle it in a warm embrace at the same time. Ugh! I have been so grieved by my own heart... and yet so encouraged too-- that Christ does the work in the heart, not me. I can only help to point my kids to the Savior, but I can't save them. I can't make them want Jesus. God does that in them. Sometimes He uses me. Sometimes He just washes my ickyness from their memories, I think. I want to be used, though, more times than He has to erase stuff.

Anyway, Happy Easter.
Hope you find yourself resting in the fact that He overcame death. And sin. And all that those things imply. There really are reverberations, you know. Even in the nooks and crannies of parenting.