Children happen. One day I woke up and I was a mother. How do I do this thing called mothering? I felt prepared. I knew how to change diapers, dry tears, schedule naptime. I'd say the first few years were easy...considering. Then one day I woke up and realized I'd made people. That was a shock. Little minds, little hearts.
I look back over the last twelve years and I know that it's been a mess. Life was a mess, and so was my parenting. I was so busy trying to put myself together that I had nothing left to sow into my kids. That's the blessing and curse of generations.
God created family for blessing. It's an organism that passes down amazing things from one generation to the next. The consecutive generations should never have to rebuild what the first started. But, as with everything he touches, the enemy came to steal, kill and destroy. What was created for exponential glory could be circumvented for exponential devastation. A very large percentage of us come from broken and unhealthy families. What kind of parenting does this foster? More brokenness.
I look back over the last twelve years and I see Jesus. Always there, waiting to love me. Heal me. Put me together. He is always faithful and kind. I see myself with grace. In the Old Testament Sarah was described as mocking God when she was told she'd have a baby in her old age. In the New Testament she's described as the one who counted Him faithful. That's the beauty of the Cross. We aren't alone. We can be grafted into the Family that has no beginning and no end. God enjoyed Family so much that He recreated it. That's us. If we want it. I don't come from brokenness. I come from Wholeness. I am infinitely loved.
A good man or woman gives an inheritance to their children's children. I want to give so much more than just a financial blessing to my family line. I want to give peace, hope, joy, faithfulness, kindness, gentleness. Love. That's the Measure of God. Filled and Overflowing.
