Snapshots of the Heart ~ Faith

I wish I could ...

... assure my babies that every story has a happy ending.

... protect my children from the sharp words and barbed actions of others.

... shield my kids from the realities of this falling-apart world.

... promise my little ones that only good things will come their way.

But I can't.

The truth is that life is hard.  But it's harder without Jesus.

So, while I can't guard my sweet ones against all the tough stuff that comes with growing up ...

making friends and losing friends,
falling short and trying again,
experiencing joy and crying your eyes out,
having a plan and flying blind ...

I can remind them that Jesus is with them every moment of every day.  I can listen to their triumphs and their disasters.  I can assure them that they are growing up to be little people who bring smiles to our faces.  I can point out the ways that I see God growing their faith.

And I can pray for them to be rooted in Jesus, bearing fruit and never withering. (Psalm 1)

"I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children's hearts, 

that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them."  

Luke 17:5-6 & Hebrews 11:1-40 

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Prompt #4 ~ I wish I could ...

Snapshots of the Heart ~ Salvation

Recently my littlest wore my favorite, sweet dress to church.  A little red gown that all my girls wore when they were three ...

The same little red dress my Nana made for me when I was three ...

What a treat to pass on something special to my children ... maybe my grand-babies will wear it someday, too!

We pass on a lot of things to our children.  We share our love of peanut butter, our passion for watching sports and our tendencies toward perfectionism and procrastination.  Sometimes we're thrilled with what our children inherit (musical talents and athletic abilities) and sometimes we cringe when we see them becoming our own little-Me's (grouchy attitudes and bossy pants).

In the midst of sharing me with my kids, more than anything else they might inherit from me ...
- the ability to multi-task (sometimes four things at once!),
- the ability to fake most any recipe (measuring spoons?  who needs 'em!),
- the ability to plan weeks in advance (the fourth week of each month needs to be empty),
- the ability to turn a birthday party into a fantastic themed celebration (Princess Bride themed-cake? no problem!) ...

More than any of these nifty gifts, I hope that they love Jesus.  I pray that they will see Him in my life and want to be like Him, too.  (And that God will close their eyes to all the ways ... the many, many ways ... I fall short!)  And I hope and pray that their childlike hearts will know Jesus in an intimate way that will lead them on a journey of an entire life walking closely with Him ... and all of eternity worshiping Him.

Of course, their choice to trust Jesus with their lives is entirely up to them.  But I want to make sure that I'm not being a hindrance to them knowing Him well.

What are you passing on to your children?
Are they seeing Jesus in your life?

"Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may 

obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory."  

Isaiah 45:8 and Timothy 2:10