PARENTING

I have really struggled writing on this topic, I actually did a draft of this in April 2020 and until now I don’t feel very ready, but I just had to. One of my reasons for being hesitant is because I am not writing from a place of authority, and secondly because I am still a student in this parenting class of life. I know churches have classes, I know books have been written on the same, but I still believe every parent walks a very personal and private path with their unique babies. I will call them unique because even if you have seven of them, each one of them is so different. Unlike any other writer like I mentioned earlier, I am not writing as an authority, but as a student from my own experiences.

Parenting, hmm? This young girl comes into our lives in 2005, we are excited and at the same time afraid. Someone completely dependent on us. Parenting reminds me on just how much I need to depend on God, me unlike God; I don’t know what to do most of the times. This is one of those responsibilities that God has given me that is quite sobering. How could He trust me with so much? I have found myself asking this so many times.

The first came with worries of various kinds, I remember one time she had issues with her bowel movement and when she was able to we would be so excited. We would take her to hospital and I would be told I am not breastfeeding her properly, as a first time mum I am wondering, ‘is there a proper way of breastfeeding’. Parenting is a learning process both for the parent and the (sic) “parentwa..” the child in this case.

This girl, a teenager today, was so adorable. So interesting, everyone who met her just fell in love with her. I would never have words enough to describe her. However one of the experiences that has stuck with me is the first day she started walking without support. She didn’t crawl like most children do; she started moving around the tables and the walls. On her first birthday, we had invited so many children, we were so excited our girl was turning one year. There was so much fun with the many babies around, and that is how my girl decided she couldn’t miss out on the fun, she stood and ran to play with the others, that was the first step and the many steps the same day.

I kept feeling like this girl had taken all my love, like the whole heart really such that I was worried I would have nothing to offer to any other child that we would get. I know this is weird but it’s true. So we are enjoying parenting this bundle of joy despite our shortcomings in the field. A few short years its 2010 and another bundle of joy comes again, by the way why are they called bundles? This time it’s a whole set of challenges but still the joy this child brings is beyond compare.

Two children each adorable in their own right, completely different yet so much the same. Fast forward, 2014 we have another bundle of joy. This time seems to be no different but we are in for a surprise, adorable as the rest but with a mind of his own.

These children are blessed of the Lord and are a blessing to us; through them we have learnt a number of things:

That, if we don’t acknowledge that we are only stewards to them. then we tend to think we own them and that puts us in a collision not only with the one who created them but even with them. Psalms 127:3
That, you don’t need to boss them around. It’s a relationship. Ours is to guide and pray. Proverbs 22:6
Teach them to be truthful in their ways 3 John 1:4
Teach my children reverence for God and authority. Deuteronomy 5:29
That I should not provoke my children to anger, rather discipline and instruct them in the way of the lord. Ephesians 6:4, Deuteronomy 6:6,7, Isaiah 54:13
That we should be firm with our children. Proverbs 29:17
Sometimes as parents we will not have answers but continue to trust that he who that gave them to you will provide all that is needed. Philippians 1:6

I have found myself on my knees, crying before God for them. Being with them make me want to be better person and parent. Indeed children are like arrows, psalms 127: 5 says he who has quiver full of them is blessed for he will not be put to shame when he contends with his enemies at the gate.

Our job is point them. Putting God at the centre of it all because they belong to him.

Kindly watch out for the upcoming blogs on