JJ, our 18 month old, is a kick in the pants. Today he prematurely woke up from his nap and was a little cranky, so I got him out and rocked him while he dozed for a little while longer. I know, it's a big no-no in the world of parental schedules, but on a normal day I'm not there when he wakes up, so I decided to indulge him a little (and myself a little too). As I was holding him, I realized how much he as grown in the last 18 months. He doesn't fit so nicely in my arms anymore. JJ had a bit of a rough start, just for a few hours. When he was born, he was born with the cord wrapped several times around his neck, and because of that, they helped me deliver him quickly. But because of the quick delivery, he had fluid in his lungs and had some respiratory troubles. He spent the first few hours of his life the NICU. Not fun for Mom and Dad, but if you know JJ, you know he's fine now! As we've nurtured him, he has grown into this wonderful, hilarious little boy.
Beyond physical nurturing, what else can we do as parents to make sure that our kids are being raised as Christ Followers? Providing them healthy meals is important, so is a warm bed and happy home, but what are we doing for their spiritual health that will help them in the end, choose Christ? I was reminded again today that it's not too early to start nurturing JJ's spiritual growth. He can sit on the bed with us as we read the Bible to the girls. Will he retain or even understand what we are reading? Probably not, but the commitment to do that will become a habit, and a habit will be a meaningful part of his life in a couple of years.
The commitment we make as parents to be faithful to our own Bible Study, to serving in our Churches, to fellowship with other Christian friends...all of those things nurture our Children's Faith, because they are seeing it lived out in our lives. Simple thought? Yep, but think about how much time you invest into this area in your life. I can definitely invest more of myself into the spiritual nurturing of my kids. How about you?
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