Her Children Arise and Call Her Blessed

Proverbs 31 is an amazing exerpt from the Bible... amazing and daunting when you realize the implications of what a Godly woman should be. This morning while I was heating pop tarts in the toaster for my son, a tiny piece of scripture popped into my head and made me take a hard look at myself.

"Her children arise and call her blessed..." from Proverbs 31:28.

Do my children arise and call me blessed? I know my children love me. And they know I love them. I probably tell them at least a dozen or more times a day. But do they really know that? Do they understand what that means? Will there ever be a time when they question that? Do they question that now?

All these questions fired through my head in a nanosecond before the toaster popped up. In that tiny moment I realized God was speaking to me. He was saying, "April, why do you spend so much time worrying about everyone else and their problems and not focusing on the tasks I've given you?"

God gave me two precious children to look after and teach to be Godly adults. They are on loan to me for such a short time, and that is a sobering thought. People tell AJ and myself that we have done well with our kids. I think by God's grace we do better than some, but still not as well as we could. But that realization this morning makes me want to step it up a notch and raise the bar even more.

Does that mean I am going to automatically take them to the park every day or the library? Or go walking by the river or play games every time they ask? Or take them to McDonald's more often even though I hate it? Or read to them as much as I should? Probably not. I can try to do all those things and more, and I want to do that. But realisitically, I will still let them down and disappoint them no matter how hard I try not to.

But I do need to invest more time praying for their salvation and instilling the belief system and values that God wants them to have. They are His precious creation and I need to remember that and cherish every moment He gives me with them. They are only on loan to me and the pop tart years are passing too quickly.

I want them to "arise and call me blessed" throughout their lives... not for my benefit, and not because of what I've done for them or given them, but because of what God has done in them through me.

Thank you, Lord, for your precious gifts to me... Zack and Zoe. Help me be a better steward of your blessings and resources in their lives everyday so that they may grow up to love you beyond measure. Help me be an example of your love and righteousness. Thank you for your gentle reminders not to sit idle, even when it's comfortable.