HEATHER MOLENDYK|CONTRIBUTOR
A modified journal entry from not so many years ago…
Today’s church service was such a blessing! Getting to witness my four children fight each other using subtle gladiator-style battle strategies to be the ones to sit right next to me in the church pew totally validated my worth as a human being. It was an enriching experience to helpfully point out each word in scripture to my younger children only to realize at the end that they had been studying a small ant crawling on the floor the entire time. It was so joyful to sing those old hymns as a family while my small ones bounced mosh-pit style, accidentally knocking my hymn book to the floor. I took such pride in the generosity of my offspring as I pried open his little fingers from the dollar bill that belonged in the offering plate instead of his snug, little pocket.
But then, like the eye of a hurricane, I was able to buy myself a limited amount of uninterrupted time when I passed out a small suck-on candy to each child. The winds hadn’t stopped blowing quite yet. I knew full well that when the eye finished its journey overhead, the storm would continue with the winds blowing in the opposite direction. Nevertheless, while their little legs swung back and forth, their little fingers twisted empty candy wrappers, and their little mouths were momentarily occupied, I was able to take that deep breath I so desperately needed. I opened my Bible to the sermon text.
The sermon text was 2 Chronicles 29 – 32. The pastor started to speak on consecrating yourself for worship like King Hezekiah did in ancient Judah. I would love to insert my sermon notes here so that I can share more detail about who Hezekiah was and all the wonderful things he did to restore the temple, but I missed most of that.
What I can report from today’s sermon is that our church floors are marvelously clean and polished. My youngest child’s bulletin and pen were able to slide undeterred for quite a distance before coming to a complete stop. I can also report that pens can be used for sword fights as well as race cars or guns. Courtesy of one daughter’s determined – yet thoughtfully organized – whispers, I am now capable of presenting a full doctoral thesis on how I can better serve mints during church in the future. I also discovered exactly how many people can simultaneously fit inside one of my sweaters. Finally, in case church visitors ever suffer from severe and sudden onset dehydration in church, I will be able to help them locate the water fountain.
Why me?
Do you often ask, “Why does this have to be so hard?” Have you had it up to here with your children’s nonsense in the pew? Are you close to having a mommy meltdown?
Before you plunge over the edge into one of those unglamorous moments, let me offer you some encouragement.
God is a Father
Not only is God the creator and designer of families, He calls Himself a Father. “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him” (Ps. 103:13.) God knows what it is to have children who are immature, not fully self-controlled, prone to foolish choices, driven by passions, and often dominated by shifting emotions. He has spent many millennia parenting stubborn, wayward children. He knows.
As a Father who knows, He commands us to teach our children. We are to teach God’s commands “diligently to [our] children, and shall talk of them when [we] sit in [our] house, and when [we] walk by the way, and when [we] lie down, and when [we] rise” (Deut. 6:7).
Even though His children aren’t fully refined yet, the Father knows that one they will be. As His children, we are promised that “what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). Just as we are not yet what we should be, our children are not yet what they should be.
Covenant theology has familial themes
From the rescue of Noah and his family to the promise that Abraham would be the father of many nations to King David always having a son to sit on the throne, God weaves the importance of family into all His covenant promises.
After Christ’s arrival, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven, Peter stood preaching the gospel to a multitude of people. Working through the Old Testament scriptures and concluding with the person of Jesus Christ, Peter exclaimed wonderful news:
“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself” (Acts 2:38-39).
As parents we are called to be faithful in bringing our children to the Lord. He is in control of the outcome. He holds salvation in His hands. We are simply called to be faithful.
Hope seen today
Though I haven’t broken the finish line tape yet, I am definitely rounding the last couple of turns. I will close with a text our teenage son sent a struggling friend. Though still rough around the edges, it gives hope that our Heavenly Father is at work whether we see it or not.
“You may not know the outcome, but He does, so trust it’s a good outcome. He knows what He’s doing. He’s not going to abandon you, and He’ll NEVER stop loving you.”
Photo by Andrew Seaman on Unsplash
About the Author:
Heather Molendyk
Heather Molendyk holds a degree in elementary education from the University of Miami and is the author of Building Little Pillars and Lead Me to Zion. Although she loves working with children in classroom and summer camp settings, her greatest joy is introducing young children to God’s loving promises found in Scripture. Heather currently worships and serves with her husband and four children at Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, NC. You can connect with Heather @heathermolendyk on Instagram.