Tag Archives: children

We will tell the next generation…

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From Psalm 78:4-7

We will not hide them from their descendants;
    we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
    his power, and the wonders he has done.
He decreed statutes for Jacob
    and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
    to teach their children,
so the next generation would know them,
    even the children yet to be born,
    and they in turn would tell their children.
Then they would put their trust in God
    and would not forget his deeds
    but would keep his commands.

Old Testament Israel had much to tell their children. Amongst the praiseworthy deeds of their Lord, was the salvation of a nation from slavery in Egypt. After such a miraculous display of power and love, you would hardly think they would need to be reminded to tell their children. Surely they would be telling their children at every opportunity because they want their kids to have trust in such a loving and powerful God. And wouldn’t they want their kids to be ready to tell the next generation too?

What about us? We’ve seen an act of salvation that exceeds the greatness of the exodus. Jesus’ death & resurrection is the greatest act of salvation the world has ever seen. It’s the greatest display of love, kindness, and power anyone will ever see. Surely, we should be telling our children of the praise worthy deeds of the Lord, at every opportunity – so that they would put their trust in the Lord and they in turn will tell their children?

Or do we, like the Israelites, need to be reminded to tell our children?

The responsibility to teach the next generation can not be delegated only to an elite group of people with gifts for teaching kids (though, certainly those who are gifted in that way should use their gifts!). Likewise, it can not be delegated only to parents. The responsibility to teach the next generation is all of ours. We are all members of God’s family, and this instruction is for all of us. From teaching kids’ church to SRE to simply reading the bible with a child, there are many ways for us to be a part of it.

How will you tell the next generation?

Surprised by grief

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It crept silently upon me from behind, disarming me in an instant, sweeping and swamping my emotional world. A sudden, perplexing grief I’d neither courted nor coaxed with negative thoughts, disaffected grumbling, hidden resentments nor murmuring discontent.

I’d not invited it, encouraged it, nurtured it, nor desired it. But, there it was…

This overwhelming sense of loss at never having, knowing, nurturing, or tenderly loving in the Lord, my own children…
Inexplicably and without warning, there it was.
It wasn’t that at that moment, or in the days and weeks that followed I didn’t ‘know’ with absolute certainty God’s love for me, or have an unswerving confidence in his sovereignty, or a trusting belief he’d not withheld anything good from me. I did.
Likewise, it wasn’t that I didn’t ‘feel’ with a heartfelt assurance my heavenly Father’s love for me, compassion for me, that he wanted only the best for me. Not once did I ‘emotionally doubt’ that he was intimately engaged and tenderly attuned to me, to all I was thinking, feeling & experiencing. All this I knew. All this I was confident of. All this I was comforted by – deeply so. And yet, there it was…
But, I also knew that for a single person to acknowledge such a grief, or express such a grief was not without its complications. Complications of perception, validation and acceptability…what do I mean?
Read Sarie’s beautifully honest post here.

On being childless

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At the moment I’m quite enjoying being single. That’s not to say I find it easy but I really do like the freedom it gives to do pretty much whatever I want whenever I want. I like that I can drop everything and go if I need to. I like making decisions on the spot without the ‘let me just talk to *insert spouse’s name here*’ thing. It gets lonely at times and there are disadvantages (see last night’s rant) but on the whole being single does have perks.

For me right now the hardest thing is not the fact that I don’t have a husband but the fact that I don’t have children. I know that being married doesn’t necessarily mean I’d have children but there’d certainly be a much higher chance!

My nephew asked me a few days ago if an aunty is a kind of parent. I love that I’m close to my nephews. I love that I have a role in teaching them, disciplining them and teaching them about Jesus. I love conversations with my nephew about how God makes paper or how God is much more powerful even than Optimus Prime (amazing huh ;-) ).

I also love being involved in the lives of other kids and families. Unfortunately as a single person that’s not something you get the chance to do very often. At least I don’t. But when I do it’s really nice to know that even though you don’t have your own family you can still be a part of someone else’s.