The Best Gift You can Give Your Kids

Being a mom is a high calling indeed. God chooses us to be the primary care givers and love givers of our children while they are in our care here on earth. That is a tremendous responsibility, but also a huge gift. Our children are such a gift to us. Our only earthly inheritance that truly matters. It is exciting to dream with my husband about the Legacy we are leaving for our children. A legacy of Faith, Love, and Hope in Jesus Christ as our savior, redeemer, friend and so much more. We dream of the day when our kids are grown and married with children of their own. The day when we get the gift of being grandparents. There are so many dreams, goals, missions to talk about and dream about together.

But what is the Best gift you can give your kids?

Is it spending time alone with them; making them feel special and like you enjoy being with them? Some might say giving them a good education, setting them up for success. Others might say, all kids need is love! The first thing that came to my mind of course was discipleship. Training them up in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Teaching them how to know Christ and mentoring them into knowing him personally in a deep way that he consumes every arena in their life. That they may be true followers of Jesus. While this is true, good and pure. And God does make it clear to us that this is our primary responsibility in raising our children.

Duet. 6:6-10 "These commandments I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you it at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates."

This is a tremendous responsibility to teach our children, impress upon our children not only his laws and commands but how they apply to everyday life. In my mind it is the the primary priority I have as mother. Nothing else comes close.

Except, I think that in the midst of working, teaching, and discipling our children towards the eternal goal we can loose sight of something even more important. Something that will either attract our children towards what we are preaching and teaching or turn them away. I believe the greatest gift you can ever give your children is to be the lover of your husband. To love him. To love serving him, to love talking with him, to love just spending time with him. When God joins your hands in marriage he says let no man put to sunder what I have joined together. He doesn't give us the gift of kids to tear us apart but to make us stronger. To make us more one with one another and with Him. After God, our husbands are our first priority, then our children and all the responsibilities that come with that.

When you are in that season of raising small kids like I am now. It is easy to forget about all the wonderful things you used to see in your husband. Why you feel in love with him. What made you so proud to be your man's girl? What was it that gave you the motivation to get dolled up for him? All the fun things you used to like to do together. Unfortunately, I think many marriages forget to keep dreaming together.

So in midst of shepherding our kids in a relationship with the Lord we need to remember that if we don't nurture those first two relationships (Christ and our husband)... they may not follow the Lord. They may not want to get married or have kids. The greatest gift we can give our kids isn't that we stay married (although we are called to). It is that we have marriages that are alive. To keep a relationship alive you have to nurture it, talk, be together, alone even. With divorce rates being what they are today and the way the world views marriage we are in a battle, not just for ourselves but for our children's future marriages.

If we want our daughters to marry strong spiritual leaders, men whom they respect and admire and cherish. Then we need to show her how to respect, admire and cherish by the way we serve and love our husbands. If we want our sons to find quiet spirited women with strong faith and a obedient heart to the Lord, the we need to show our sons what it looks like. We need to strive to be quiet spirited, to daily walk with strong faith and obedient hearts. We need to try to be an example of a help meet that God desires. Because if we don't, if we aren't the example as best as possible in all our sin, and if we fail to truly love our husbands all the rest may be in vain. Kids catch what is seen everyday, not just what is taught. If your kids don't feel like or believe that you really love your husband... love him as a friend and enjoy him... they might not respect anything you try to teach them. They see what is hidden. you can not fake a good marriage. It isn't like going to church on Sunday and leaving after a couple hours where people may think you have it all together. Your kids hear and see how you speak to your husband and how you look at him every day.
Going out on a date speaks so many words to your kids. It says Mommy and Daddy love spending time together. It says we make our relationship a priority. It shows them your friendship side of your relationship. All while ago a young mom I knew came up to me at church and asked me if I thought it was ok to leave the kids for a week and go on vacation with her husband. She had two little ones, 4 yrs old and 2 yrs. My response was if you have a "healthy" place for your kids to go and the financial means, then I think it is the best gift you can give your kids. It helps keep your marriage alive. We get so stuck in our roles in life sometimes and it is healthy to have some alone time with your hubby. To be intimate without worrying about little guys barging in on you or even just getting scared in the dark (or what ever it could be). I know when I go on Business trips with my husband sometimes. I get so excited because I feel like I can finally have a few days to just love on him. To have uninterrupted conversations, and uninterrupted time together. Some may say this is selfish, but I believe it is healthy.

i am so excited, this Sunday I get to go on a trip with my husband to Argentina! Gramma and Grampa are the official caretakers while we are gone. We are so blessed to have them willing, available and excited to come and stay with the kids. Please be praying for us to have safe travels as well my pregnancy and back pains. Every year the company my husband works for does a company trip and we haven't gone for three years. I am excited to my "wedding work" and love on him. What fun memories we will make and bring home to share with the kids. How blessed will they be to see mom and dad enjoying each other so much.

I pray that this posting challenges you to think outside the box about having more than just an average marriage, but an extraordinary marriage. If you are experiencing that love relationship that is ever growing and joyful; then I hope this encourages you in what you are doing. God is so well pleased by your efforts in making your marriage what it is today and for letting Him be a part of it. Your example can truly change your kids futures.