Sanctification through Children

How amazing children are! Right now I seem to marvel everyday at what Jamey is learning and doing. I also marvel at how much it is growing, teaching and stretching me. I am starting to understand that one of the biggest purposes of God giving children is to teach us more about His character. With children, if you do not grow in Christ likeness, then you become miserable. I see this battle in me all of the time. Do I follow Christ's pattern of love, discipline, grace and mercy or do I fall into self and do what I want to do or what seems easiest? It's a daily battle and struggle to raise a child. Only by the grace of God can I even begin to hope to raise my children in His likeness. I know they are created in His image and He wants them to follow in the path of Christ. I also know they are sinful, fallen just like me. How much more evident my sin is now that I am teaching my children. I must stop and think all the time, what am I teaching my children?! Though I must I find that I don't. Then I must go back and ask forgiveness not only from God but from my children who are not seeing Christ in me. This is the hard part. To humble yourself before your child and say, "I'm a sinner too! I know I messed up here. Please forgive this human of a mother you have." Though they are young and do not fully understand the words, I can see that they understand the motions. It is amazing how much children can see, know and understand without knowing full language. We think they must know how to communicate everything in order to fully communicate, but this is not true! They see and feel the emotions you portray and share with them. They know when you are saying one thing and doing another. Sometimes it seems my children are smarter than I, not because of intelligence, but because they see without it. God has given me a great responsibility that I am so unworthy of having, but He has given it to me nonetheless. And now with a third on the way! I must confess that though I am joyful that God has chosen to given our family another life, I have questioned the wisdom. But then I remember that the wisdom of God may seem like foolishness to men. God is continually growing me as He grows my family. Thanks be to God that He does this! That He knows my weakness, my sin, my inability and still gives me the responsibility and charge to raise the next generation, I pray, of believers. I am no where close to perfect. I stumble everyday! But I know that God is still guiding, directing, molding and making me every step of the way.

It's been 10 months and I've already learned so much! What will the next 4 years hold?