My baby boy turns five in five days. Nearly five years he has been entrusted to my love and care, all day every day for 1,820 days. That's a lot of days and yet it has gone so incredibly fast. Tonight I stumbled on this from "A Holy Experience" and I can only stop and ask myself, Do I encourage him? Am I patient and kind? Do I serve him lovingly? Do I guide him gently? Sure I do. But enough? I'm afraid not. Too often there is pushing and rushing and wrinkling and puckering. The sewing analogy really resonated with me. Perhaps because I sew. Perhaps because I'm a mother. Either way, I love the idea of viewing the raising of my children as a handiwork, a task requiring care and patience and gentleness. Because all you sewers out there know that the best sewing projects are the ones you do for the ones you love. Sometimes they are hard. Sometimes they are tedious. These I call labor of love projects. Sounds a lot like the task of raising children! I am encouraged and challenged...challenged to guide gently. God has given me the most wonderful, precious gift in these children and I want to honor Him by guiding them in the way He'd have me, with kindness and patience, and gentleness, and love. Not just with Aden but with his brother ans sister as well. Because if I have learned anything in these past five years with Aden it is that time passes quickly! Five years have come and gone and I know that in the blink of an eye I will be kissing him goodbye as he heads off to college and through the tears I'll be asking myself where the last 18 years went. When that day comes will he be able to say that his mama encouraged him, modeled kindness and patience, served him with love, and guided him gently? Oh, I so hope so.
10 years ago
2 comments:
Aimee - thanks for posting the link to Ann's site. They were the words I needed to hear today and I found them so encouraging.
Also, another thanks for the bike riding encouragement - we are so looking forward to getting out together.
That was really beautiful.
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