Train A Child In His Ways

Tonight, as we celebrated Rebekah and Adam's graduation from primary school (year 7 in South Australia), we were filled with pride at the way our children have grown into extraordinary young people.  Their vibrant personality, positive attitude, keen social conscience, depth of spirituality and eagerness to learn are just some of the qualities that evoke such pride and joy.  

As parents of twins (hard to believe given the height diffence now) we knew we were blessed with two incredible gifts from God from the day they were born and have seen that blessing manifested through every stage of their lives. I can honestly say that parenting has been an absolute joy, despite the challenges, as we have done our best to nurture and raise what has been entrusted to our care.  Every night we pray the same prayer with our children:  That God would "protect them from harm and help them to continue to grow and develop in body, mind and spirit."  This is our earnest desire as we seek God for their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.  While it is our parental responsibility to create the right environment and opportunities for growth, only God can make them grow.  Therefore, we look upon their growth and development to this point in their lives with awe and wonder, given our limitations as fallible human beings, and with gratitude for God's wisdom and grace.

To be frank, there is a part of me that is scared to death about High School and their teenage years, yet there is another part of me that has confidence in a faithful God who has brought us this far.  I have no idea what the future holds for Rebekah and Adam, but I continue to pray that the values upon which they have been raised will provide a solid foundation for the choices they make for their lives.  As their dominant influence shifts from their parents to their peers, we pray that they will hold fast to the faith they possess and allow the Spirit of God to guide and empower them "to continue to grow and develop in body, mind and spirit."  As for us, we hold fast to God's promise in Scripture that if we "Train up a child in the way he [she] should go: and when he [she] is old, he [she] will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6, KJV)