Kids - God's Gift

I'm reading two books in parallel. I didn't mean to, but my Amazon order showed up on my front porch after I had started another book. I kept staring at my new books and was dying to dig into them. So I couldn't resist. I started a second one. And oddly enough, they are a perfect complement to one another.

The first book is Too Small To Ignore and describes the life of Wess Stafford, CEO of Compassion International. He has a deep desire to treat all of God's children like the gift they are. He says, "Every child you encounter is a divine appointment." He insists we have an obligation to give voice to those who would have none otherwise. It is challenging me to set aside some of my typical adult-type ideas about children and embrace each child as an opportunity to show them Jesus.

The second book is titled Age of Opportunity - a biblical guide to parenting teens. It is a very compelling book that completely turns some of my ideas of parenting upside down. The author challenges the heart of parents as the extension of how they parent. He gives voice to things most of us would not admit out loud. It's wonderfully refreshing and very thought-provoking. The author says, "We tend to approach parenting with a sense of ownership, that these are our children and their obedience is our right. These assumptions pave the way for our identity to get wrapped up in our children." I sometimes forget that even in my role as a mom, I must still live in complete submission to God.

I want to embrace opportunities with my boys, which is another aspect of the book. To truly look at normal moments as teachable moments. We live in the mundane far more than the wow. So I grabbed one of those this week. I had already made plans for dinner on Tuesday, but Zach was at a dodge ball tournament and I had to pick him up later than usual. So I put dinner in the fridge and asked Derek if he'd like to ride along and then we'd all go out for dinner. He was delighted and unaware that it was intentional on my part. It's not often I get my almost 18-year old in the car all to myself. And what a delightful conversation we had. He shared a struggle that he was having and what he was doing to overcome it. I was blown away. It was a typical teenage boy issue, which would seem harmless, but his godly perspective was moving him in a totally different direction than most.

I do love to read, but I am particularly moved as God directs me to books that bring about His greater purpose for my life as His humble servant - in all my roles in life.