Be There Now

This morning I woke with a heavy heart. I've recently encountered a strained relationship between a parent and their child. This is never intentional; however, sadly it happens often. I've witnessed the pain on both sides, and it makes my heart ache.

I cannot even begin to tell you how important your relationship is with your children now.

You cannot put off today, what you want for tomorrow. It's not impossible to later accomplish it, but it's very improbable.

I heard someone make this statement before, and I've held onto it. You have two opportunities to have a relationship with your children. You have the parent relationship that takes place while you're raising them, and you have the adult relationship that takes place when they've grown. As the parent, you only get to make the decision how one of those relationships will be.

If this doesn't make sense to you, I want to explain it a little better. When your kids are young and impressionable, you are the one they look up to for guidance. This is the chance you get at working on a relationship with them. You must make it the best you possibly can. When your children are in your care, you need not to just meet their physical needs, but you must be there for them emotionally. You need to be a friend, someone who they can count on, and go to for advice. You can be their friend, and still maintain an authority role. If you are inaccessible when they're young, it will determine how things end up later in life.

The adult relationship is determined solely by the child. You can try to connect with your child later, but if you were unsuccessful when they were young, it's going to be even harder when they are old. I don't want to say it's impossible, because with God nothing is impossible. But I do want to say, it's very improbable.

So it is with my heavy heart in what I've witnessed that I determine to make the most of the time I have now. I want to use every day to my advantage. I love my children with all my heart, and with every moment that goes by, I desire to have my kids believing in my love and affection. I never want to reach the place where I am inaccessible to my children. I want to be their friend, someone they can always count on. I want to love them now with a consuming love that never dies.

I want to be so careful with their delicate minds and emotions, always building them up and never tearing them down. I want to use my words to encourage them, and teach them they can be anything they dream up. I want them to know how wonderfully made they are. But most importantly I want to be God's hands reaching out to them, showing them something tangible that illustrates God's love for them.

The parental role is so vital in the development of a child emotionally and spiritually, that I pray daily I am fulfilling the calling that God has bestowed upon me. I believe being a parent is one of God's greatest blessings. Now I want to say, I don't pretend to be an expert here, this is just what I've been pondering and observing lately. I really felt like I should share this with you. It's been on my heart, and something that God is still working on me with. I so often feel like I fall short in my parenting skills, but I know that with God's help, He can make up the difference.

I want to challenge you to be there for your child now, so that when they are grown you can continue the relationship that you began.