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November 10, 2007
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=========================== TODAY'S ARTICLE ==========================
To Know This Love That Surpasses Knowledge, by BooMama
I'll probably never know exactly what was going on in Alex's heart and
mind that day in the grocery store when my son screamed,
"JEEEEEEEEEEEE-SUS! COME INTO MY HEART!" and then a bit later said a
prayer for my toe cramps -- quite a mixture of faith expressed for the
grocery store. But, I do know that he's been chock-full-o-curiosity
ever since. So we've spent the last few weeks talking through all sorts
of four year-old questions about God. And while part of me thinks that
four is too young for a child to have any real grasp of sin and
sacrifice and atonement and resurrection, a much bigger part of me
knows that there is no faith as simple and profound as the faith of a
child.
I also know that this is the time to plant those seeds of faith and
then water them as much as we possibly can so that the little man's
roots will grow deep, so that one day he will be able, as Paul wrote,
"to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and
to know this love that surpasses knowledge -- that [he] may be filled
to the measure of all the fullness of God" (Ephesians 3:18-19
paraphrased).
So we answer Alex's questions. We talk about God. We talk about the
joys of knowing Him, of serving Him, of trusting Him. We pray that he
sees evidence of those joys as he watches his mama and daddy work out
their faith every single day.
And it has been, quite simply, one of the sweetest times of my whole
life.
Before Alex was born, I imagined that this child whose face I had not
yet seen would sit with me at a desk while I carefully read passages of
Scripture aloud. Everything would be Perfectly Orderly; I would Teach
With Care while my child Listened Attentively. Then we would clasp our
hands together and begin the walk toward faith with lockstep precision,
only stopping long enough for him to surrender to whatever calling God
might have on his life.
Because I wasn't idealistic or anything.
But the reality, as anybody with a little one knows, is absolutely
nothing like that. The daily process of teaching and leading a precious
little heart is about as methodical as herding a room full of cats. And
you know what else? It is hard. On every single level. So much of
parenting uncovers our own imperfections, and we are constantly being
humbled, broken and refined in our own lives while we try to nurture
the little lives that have been entrusted to us. Did I mention that
it's hard?
There are days when I'm really disappointed in myself as a mother; I
get so tired of struggling to balance the things I need to do with the
things I want to do, and as a result of that I am confronted with the
reality of my selfishness over and over again. It's a mighty good thing
indeed that I don't have to parent in my own strength, because I'll
tell you right now that I couldn't do it. I wouldn't last a day.
They're immeasurable.
But the rewards of parenting? They really are huge. They're
immeasurable. They're eternal. And the longer I'm a mama, the more I
find that the most teachable moments in terms of faith don't require
much organization or planning on my part. They don't necessarily happen
while we're sitting in a church service or when we're Reviewing Memory
Verses With Great Intention, though certainly I believe that God uses
those things.
For me the most breathtaking moments -- the times when David and I are
both able to share our faith with the most sincerity and transparency
-- are when Alex picks up a maple leaf from the ground and then says,
with wonder, "GOD MADE THIS!" Or when he runs into the house after
being outside and says, "Mama! I missed you! And I talked to Jesus
while I played!" Or when he's sick with a stomach virus and says,
through his tears, "Mama? Will you always take care of me? Will God
always take care of me?"
Or even when he puts his hand on my shoulder in the middle of a crowded
grocery store and prays for my toe cramps while we stand next to six
different brands of sour cream.
In many ways motherhood is absolutely nothing like I imagined, but so
much more than I expected. And for me, right now, the greatest joy is
sharing the Greatest Joy with a four year-old who may get a little
cloudy on the theological details -- but whose heart is wide open.
I cannot imagine any greater privilege.
---------
(c) 2007 boomama
RELATED LINKS:
* The Ministry of Motherhood
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200605/20060507_motherhood.html
* Night Night Moon
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200408/20040804_nightmoon.html
* Providing Memories of HOme for our Children
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200403/20040310_memorieshome.html
* BooMama: Read by Tens of People Every Day
This article can be found on the web at:
http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200711/20071110_surpasses.html
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