My oldest didn’t have a “terrible twos” stage. Rather, being an overachiever, she began life with an opposition to authority that intensified at 18 months and continued with a gleeful abandonment of reason until age five. She was also, of course, the Pastor’s Kid, and church proved her favorite time for acting out. Our congregation loved our little family without judgment, but their kindness didn’t stop my feelings of failure and embarrassment.
It seemed no matter what I did or said, my preschooler never heeded a single word. Seeking to reinforce biblical truths, we decided to work through the New City Catechism as a family. Each question and answer affirmed God’s Word and also came with a catchy song, which the preschooler loved. She especially enjoyed the tune to question 2 (What is God?) and its answer (God is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything). I thought little of it until one Sunday afternoon, I overheard her volunteer to pray at the end of a children’s choir practice. In her tiny voice, she began, “Dear Lord, the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything …. ”
It’s easy to believe that what we do and say as parents doesn’t really matter. Are the kids really listening and watching, especially when we have to tell them the same things dozens of times? (Put on your shoes, don’t hit your brother, eat your dinner, don’t lick the grocery cart – yes, I’ve said that one more than once!) But sometimes, when we least expect it, God shows us how much it does. Isn’t it just like our heavenly Father to display His own persistent, patient love for us, His children, through ours?
written by a OneVoice Magazine reader
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