Sunday, March 1, 2009

Thoughts for Today - My first post!

As I lay in bed nursing a sleeping baby in the dark, while typing on my laptop, I am amazed at how simple a baby's life is. Give them the warmth of their mom, a clean diape r and they're content.

Why can't us adults do the same? I am reminded of God's words to us - "Having food and rainment, let us be therewith content." (I Tim. 6:8) (By the way, Google is great. I am terrible with remembering where in the Bible to find verses. Having a way to locate them is awesome! But back to my original thoughts...) I look at my own discontent - I have four small children whom I love dearly. Everyday they are learning something new or coming up with insight into something I had never thought of. And yet, instead of cherishing the time I spend with them, I fret over what to do with my life. Whether I should find work as a proofreader to bring in money, learn to use the ancient sewing machine I just inherited (which is very heavy and really complicated looking), or whether I can really take on the challenge of homeschooling this houseful of boys - I don't often stop to think of the blessings that God has given me. Instead I pace the house, obssess over these petty little concerns and miss the beauty of watching my children grow up with a together, present mom.

Onto another thought, I really want to write articles or thoughts on attachment parenting from a Christian perspective. There is much to say on the subject and I am still learning and growing in my faith daily. I often forget to put Christ first in my life, but I also know that by putting my thoughts down it helps me to focus on the ways in which other parents can benefit from my thoughts.

For instance, a small baby is helpless. They only way he has to communicate is through crying. Instead of assuming that cry is a sinful outburst, we should always put the best construction on everything - even a crying baby. Assuming the child is baptized, he is a child of God and so is a faithful Christian - albeit a Christian who still needs to be raised in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Instead of being overly punitive to a small baby or child, rather we should be gentle in our teaching and our instructing. Children need to understand why they should do the right thing, and not do something just because. As a Christian, we don't do something because of the Law, we do it because we love Jesus. Our works don't merit anything - we don't gain heaven that way. Neither do children. They don't gain parents' favor by doing it just because we said so, but because they love us and want to do the right thing. How do they learn to do the right thing if we don't explain that to them in words they can understand and by our teaching them?