Train up a child...

My daughter has gone through many attachments in the past almost-three years...just not necessarily the typical ones. Sure, I tried to get her attached to a blanket, a doll, a stuffed animal, etc. but that's never really worked. Instead of needing a teddy bear at night time, my daughter chose her belly button (and she would stop at nothing to gain access to said belly button--even if I put her in a onesie, she would stick her hand down the neck of it to reach her belly button!) And, instead of cuddling with a blanket at night, many times I've found her with arms wrapped around a hardback book. I've never really given too much thought to her attachments though until yesterday when she latched on to something new...

When Lucy was dedicated in the church, she received a small pink Bible that I've kept on a shelf in her room. She's maybe looked at it a few times, but never shown much interest in it until yesterday when she proudly began parading around the house with it. I tried to take it from her before church, thinking she might lose it, but she was INSISTENT upon bringing it with her. (Then I realized how silly it was for me to discourage my child from bringing her Bible with her to church! LOL:) She keeps saying, "This is my special special Bible. Don't ever touch it!" I have to keep telling her, "Yes Lucy, we have to be careful with special things, but that doesn't mean you can't touch it." And then, this morning, after she had prayed for her breakfast, she looked at me and said, "Oh no! We didn't thank Jesus for my Bible!" So we bowed our heads again as Lucy said, "Thank you, Jesus for my Bible. A-MEN!"

Out of the mouths of babes, right? I mean, I literally just had to stop and think of what she was really saying and take a good look at myself and what I've been teaching her. I don't ever want to discourage her from using her Bible! Sure, her dedication Bible is a special keepsake, but what good is a Bible that just sits up on a shelf?! I had to stop and ask myself--do I consider my Bible a prized possession that I proudly want to take with me everywhere I go, just like Lucy does right now (Not just physically, but by hiding it in my heart, too)? Am I truly thankful for the Word of God that I have such easy access to, or do I take it for granted?

My daughter may not realize the weight of her words, but as her mother, I have the opportunity to teach her exactly what they mean. What a privilege we are given as parents to train our children up to know and to love Jesus! It's so easy to lose sight of that in the busyness of our day to day activities. Yes, laundry has to get done and meals have to be cooked, but in everything we do we can maintain an attitude of thanksgiving and love to our Lord. Is that what Lucy sees in her mama, or does she see a frazzled and short-fused mommy racing from one activity to the next? My prayer is I can be focused on this task the Lord has set before me and embrace this stage in life, for what could be more rewarding than the opportunity to stay home with this precious gift God has blessed us with and train her up in God's love and truth? I can't think of anything else I'd rather do!

Proverbs 22:6
"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."