In this past week I had the blessing of holding two precious new babies that were born into two of our church families. They were less than twenty-four hours old when I saw each of them. Their eyes squinted to see what was going on around them. Swaddled in hospital blankets, their little arms would stretch out and either settle in for another nap, or they would begin to flail, whimper, then cry.
At one point when baby Noah began crying his momma said, “He doesn’t like to be moved around and he cries when he is being jostled about.” The momma of Katelyn said, “She loves her thumb and quieted herself when she found it.” Already these mommies were studying their babies and learning their particular characteristics that make them unique.
When Proverbs 22:6 says, Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it, it’s saying, train up your child in his own way. It’s not that you let them have their way, you learn them and study them and train them up according to how the Lord made them. It’s amazing that in a family of two or more children they’re each unique. We have to ask questions about each of them: Is this a strong-willed child? He will need a stronger hand. Is this child gifted in music? He will need guidance in how to use that for the Lord. If this little one is selfish and self-centered (most all children are), they will need instruction in how to serve others.
Mothering is a task that requires learning our children and then using that knowledge to train them for the Lord. Then and only then do we have the promise that they will not depart from it. It’s an overwhelming task without the Lord’s help, but He is their Creator and will help us to understand how to teach and train each of them.
What are you learning about your children as you love and observe them? The scary thing is that we often see ourselves and our sinfulness as we watch them! Mothering is a humbling task, but a blessed one. This week before Mother’s Day I hope to share some thoughts and encouragement to moms, as well as those that have empty arms due to childlessness. God understands what we experience as women and He is enough to meet each of those needs.
RefreshHer 
What a blessing your post was this morning. I am Donna Shupe, Vicki Watson’s sister and she told me about your blog several weeks ago. I have enjoyed it very much.
I home school our 10 and 8 year old daughters and this morning, I was sharing with them that our desire for them was whatever God’s desire for them would be for tomorrow and every day of their lives. I then told them of some character traits that I had noticed in them that may give us a hint as to how God would use them. They giggled as I shared these with them – not realizing some of them even themselves.
Then about an hour after this, I read your blog and was just so blessed. I was assuring my girls that if we dedicated our daily lives to God, He would take us where we are supposed to be. And then I read what He had put on your heart and was so reassured! My doubs and fears in my own ability to get them there do not matter. He is in control and will take us where we should be if we let Him.
Thanks for sharing about a mother’s observations. God is so good to give us what we need!
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Donna,
I praise the Lord for the encouragement He gave you today. He used you to encourage me! Thank you for sharing how the Lord used this entry. Truth be told, when I posted it I felt like it didn’t say a whole lot; that I had missed the mark. See? Another evidence that God can take our feeble efforts and use them!
May He richly bless you as you raise those girls for Him!
Denise
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