Several years ago, I worked at a retirement home. The minimum age requirement for residents was 65. One of the residents in my assisted living unit was a man named Bill, who was 55 years old. Bill first moved to the community with his mother about 10 years before I started working there. Before her death, Bill's mother worked it out so that Bill could continue living there, after she died, even though he did not meet the age requirements. Bill was born with Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy, and Mental Retardation. His mother knew he would be cared for at the retirement home by the loving staff until his death. She died having that peace about her son and his future.
We all want the best for our children. If we could personally pick ever detail of their future, I know lots of parents who would do it without blinking. We can't predict the future on this earth, but we can for their eternal life.
Having my children tell me they want to surrender their lives to Jesus are sweet words I hope to hear soon. To know they will walk with Jesus in Heaven is a scene so beautiful, I can only imagine. My hubby and I take the girls to church, have Bible study with them, and talk to them about God everyday. We want them to make that decision to accept Christ when they truly understand and asked to be baptized.
Once they make that decision, our work isn't over. We must continue to help them. Satan will throw a lot of temping offers at them. As their parents, it's our job to continue to pray for they and help them not to catch those throws. I love John 15 :1-5. If Jesus is the vine we are the fruit. If a branch falls off the tree, the fruit will eventually spoil and rotten. . You can water and fertilize the branch, but it won't bear more fruit. It has to stay connected. Jesus is our Vine. We, and our children, are the branch, the fruit. We have to stay connected to Jesus to survive. We have to pray our children stay connected and do what we can to keep them connected.
With so much chaos in the world today, I have no idea what the future holds. And that's o.k. God said He will never leave or forsake me, so I know we will be fine. It's not "this" life that concerns me the most. It's the one after this. To know my children will one day run in the beautiful gardens in Heaven, what more can a mother want.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
-Post written by Crystal. Join us again on Monday as Nicole shares her thoughts on Chapter 6. Thanks Crystal for sharing your thoughts and time with us all!
1 comment:
Thanks so much for these thoughts, Crystal. This chapter is an important reminder to me, that praying for our children's future is more than just praying for them to make lots of progress. It means that their future in heaven is the ultimate reward of our job as parents and what we should focus on first and foremost. This is tough sometimes, because the immediate future on earth can seem much more pressing. I often lean on the scripture you shared, Jeremiah 29:11, to assure myself that God has good plans for my child's future here on earth. I now will relate it to their future beyond this life as well.
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