Will They EVER?

Until very recently there was a time in my life when I actually thought, ‘Man, when are my kids gonna grow up?…are they growing up?…will they ever?’

Time has indeed answered those three very worrisome questions and I’m quite thankful and well pleased with the outcome!

My best advice I can give if anyone were to ever ask me, concerning their children’s arrival at maturity is this:

DO NOT wish for them to grow up before their time!

DO NOT rob them of their fleeting childhood. Let them be children as long as they are called to be that. Just like it’s unnatural to expect a fruit tree to bear fruit before it’s reached its season; your children are no different .Yes, DO train and discipline as needed. However, in their developing years allow room for them to make mistakes as those are life’s best teachers. Let them fail and when they do, be there, offering them grace, mercy and forgiveness. Forgive them, forgive yourself and encourage them to forgive themselves too.

Give them the lesson, let them put to practice what you taught them in the lesson. Then when they are ready and you know they are prepared enough, give them the test, then walk away and observe them as they take the test. If they pass the test, GREAT! If they barely squeaked by or failed miserably, regroup and reassess, review the lesson, allow for more practice, then test once more. Also, don’t forget to model the principle you are teaching them as best as you can!

Train up a child IN THE WAY he should go and when he is OLD, he’ll not depart from it. I chose this proverb as a guide for me when I was training my children and it keeps manifesting in their lives over and over! Trust God/SOURCE with your children, He is faithful to complete the work He began in them!