Children are a Gift from Almighty God
“Children are a gift from God.” Although trite and excessively utilized, that expression contains tremendous spiritual wisdom. Considering the reality that many people grow up in “dysfunctional families,” we receive a divine gift in our children to develop a “functional” family. God gives us another chance to redeem an unfortunate childhood. Through the eyes of our children, we rediscover innocence and untainted faith.
Moreover, children are a source of healing for our “inner child.” As we laugh, play, cry, draw, paint, color, run, and frolic with our children, we allow our “inner child” to join the fun. In doing so, we find a significant component of inner healing on the journey to wholeness. In the gift of parenthood, God uses our children to show us the path to passion and joy.
Millions of Americans grow up in poverty. We imagine their deprivation at Christmas, beginning of each school year, prom and graduation season, birthdays, holidays and other special occasions. These people know what it means to be in need. They fight daily to find happiness in life, given an unreasonable emphasis upon money and material acquisition in our culture. An impoverished life wounds the soul and destroys imagination yielding a hurtful childhood from which many people never heal. The divine blessing of children enables their realization of life’s true riches.
Interestingly and fortunately, many persons who grow up in poverty find spiritual and personal resilience to overcome a very harmful past. God’s gracious gift of children bestows earthly and eternal wealth: unconditional love, laughter, imagination, passion and joy. Children help hardened, unyielding adults to recapture the lost tenderness and freedom redefine of their childhoods. As they rear children in the admiration and awe of Almighty God, they gain appreciation for God’s unfailing love and care for them as His children. Just as God loves us unconditionally, we similarly love our children. We desire to meet each need according to the fullest extent of our resources. In fact, we take pleasure in their joy. Their smiles become our smiles. Their exploring eyes and inquisitive minds become ours. Their laughter heals the wounds of our past.
If we do not continually progress toward inner healing and wholeness, we resent our children and denigrate the divine gift of parenthood. We reconcile with our past to prevent present suffering of its vestiges. As memories of past needs deeply plague us, we may feel we only owe our children basic necessities. Since we did not get anything extra, they will not. No one went the extra mile for us. Accordingly, we will not go the extra mile for them.
We have a parental obligation to spend whatever is necessary to assist our children in determining and utilizing their God given talents and personal abilities. Practically speaking, this means consistently writing checks for club memberships, music and athletic lessons, and various other enrichments. Personal development and spiritual growth will empower us to earnestly desire our children’s accomplishments exceed our own. Yet, that will not happen if we fail to pave the road to success and excellence.
Scripture repeatedly declares children are a wonderful gift of God. All parents rejoice in God’s trust of them. He graciously blesses parents as His stewards in encouraging and empowering children to discern and cultivate the unique gifts He gives them. Surprisingly, mysteriously and majestically, God utilizes parenthood to heal parents whose childhoods were unfortunate.
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