Borrowed Children

My sons' names both have the same meaning; "Gift of God". Actually it is a misnomer, but I couldn't find any names that meant "On Loan From God". See, our children are not really our own. They are entrusted to our care, and we are to raise them up to follow God closely, and have a relationship with Him. That is our entire job as a parent.

One thing I don't believe most people realize is that we, as parents, are teaching our children constantly, no matter what. They see us, hear us, and feel us. We give them messages about themselves, the world, and God, all of the time, whether we intend to or not. However, it is not the message we think we are giving. What we convey to our children is far more profound, and far more significant than what appears on the surface.

Our roles as mothers and fathers do far more than keep a child healthy, and help them to become functioning adults. They teach a child about their place in the world, who they are, and who God is, and how they should/can/do relate to Him. We cannot relinquish this role. It is entirely impossible.

God gave children 2 parents for a reason. We are entirely different people in nearly every way. This is because the lessons we teach are children are vastly different. We cannot trade with each other. The mother's role is the mother's, no matter what she might wish. The father's role is his, and he will fulfill it, either poorly or well, but he will fulfill it. You have no choice.

I'll use the next post or two to elaborate. Until then, see if you can guess what those roles might be. What one major lesson does each parent have to teach?