“We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.”
Joshua 4:6-7 NLT
Before I became pregnant with my son, my daughters had been asking for a baby brother. In fact my younger daughter asked Jesus everyday for over a year. It was her main prayer point. My husband and I laughed about it but she held on to her request. Then, I got pregnant.
During the tough times of the pregnancy I remember asking God to please answer their prayers so that it would help their faith in him. Every night, they would kiss my tummy and say good night to their baby brother and everyday at school, they would tell anyone they had the opportunity to, that they were having a baby brother.
This was their reality while I was fighting against anxiety and fear and my faith was being tested daily. It didn’t help that the scans could not tell is what we were having. On the day their brother was born, they came to see us at the hospital and couldn’t hide their excitement in their own respective ways.
But one thing they both shared was that they quickly remembered that they asked, God heard and he answered. It didn’t matter if they were asking for us to find space in a mall parking lot or a baby brother. The requests could get bigger but God remained the same. Faithful!That time of our lives has become a memorial in our family.
So today, keep a journal , keep record of your trial, process and gratitude and make a memorial for your children to remember. Let them see the progression of God’s faithfulness in your lives as parents.
It will build their confidence and trust in him as they trust him with and for their lives. Remember that a big part of our work is to help them know Him more.
Rest assured, they won’t forget it!
To your transformational parenting journey.
