Picture by Caprice
Miller
“Fix
these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands
and bind them on your foreheads.
Teach them to your
children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the
road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on
your gates,” – Deuteronomy 11:18-20
What a sweet baby calf! It is incredible to think that this baby
could actually stand within an hour of its birth. Imagine trying to keep up with that child
after it gets comfortable on its own legs.
This momma cow has to start teaching fast! Every baby in the animal kingdom has certain
instincts that come naturally to them.
But they are still dangerously curious about certain things. They don’t yet know they should stay away
from certain fences because it can hurt them.
They don’t know not to play with the slithering “stick” on the ground
because it could bite them and hurt or even kill them. And, of course, they don’t know to stay away
from certain cows in the herd because they are just mean. And then there are basic skills as they grow such
as the best places to get water and graze.
And make sure you aren’t late to the “hay party” that Farmer Joe throws every
day. You don’t want to get left out of
that one. There are all sorts of things
this baby has yet to learn as it grows and matures. Momma
has a big job ahead of her.
As a mom, I’m grateful my daughter wasn’t
walking by the time she was an hour old.
I needed time to take the parenthood thing in for a while. I remember that moment of panic when I was
left alone with her for the first time – that was 18 years ago! “What if she cries? How do I know if it’s a hunger cry or a wet
diaper cry or a gassy cry? Oh God,
please just let her sleep and not cry! I’m
not sure if I’m prepared for that yet.”
Even before this moment though, I recall another “cry out to God moment”. When we learned we were having a girl, I
immediately thought of those pivotal teenage years and I began to pray right
then. “Oh God, please help me to teach
her how special she is in Your eyes.
Help us to raise her and guide her in the path You have created for her.” We had been blessed with such a gift and we
needed His guidance NOW!
The verse above is a directive to the
Israelites. He knew this was a fickle
crowd and they needed a strong reminder for their lives and parenting skills. God
was reminding them to not have short memories about the miracles they witnessed
as He lead them through the desert and to remember the commandments they were
given. Not only were they not to forget,
but they were told to share it with their children. Earlier in the chapter they are reminded of
why it was important to share this with their children. Their children were not witnesses to the
miracles that brought them out of Egypt and to the Promised Land. They didn’t witness the manna each morning
that just appeared on the ground for them or the water coming out of the rock
and so much more! And if the children
were not told, how would they know? How
would they understand the reverence and love they should have for their Creator
if they aren’t taught? It amazes me that
they would have to be reminded to tell these stories. It’s as though God’s miracles had become so
common place to them that they just took for granted that these things always
happened to everyone. And yet, we do
the same thing in our own lives today.
It is said that Christianity is only a
generation away from extinction. If the
story of the amazing love and grace of God is not shared with our children, we
could be responsible for that. The enemy
would like for us to believe that whatever relationship with God we have is
just between ourselves and Him. NOT
TRUE! How can we keep such a thing to ourselves? He loves us so much that He does
miraculous things in our lives every day.
So much so that we take them for granted just like the Israelites
did. Stop and take an account of the blessings in
your life and thank God for them right now; let that gratitude overflow so much
so that it can’t be kept quiet. And as
you do, tell your children! Do as the
verse says – talk about these things as they lie down and get up, as you’re
walking, or just sitting around talking.
Let them know of your love for God and the miraculous things you have
witnessed in your life so they can become that next generation sharing His love
with others. The daily survival skills
of life are important to teach our children.
But to help them know and understand God’s love for them is really the
most important lesson we could ever share with them.
