Win the souls of your children

The season of raising two young boys is long past for me. My boys have become young men. The older one is now a husband to a lovely lady who is a beautiful addition to our family. I look at this photo and wonder where the time went.

While my boys are grown and our family looks much different, the photo remains one of my favorites. It sits in my office and many times I find myself staring at it lost in the memories. There are days I miss the season of having young ones under my care. I tease my husband and tell him maybe it's time to adopt. Adopting is a God-sized dream residing deep in my heart.

The photo brings back memories of doing everything I could to make sure my two boys knew they were loved.

What you do not see in this picture is the brokenness of my family during that season. We were in no way pursuing a relationship with God. My marriage was hanging on by a thread. I can look beyond this picture of innocence and see tempers flying and hearts being broken.

Then I look again and find God's grace. Somewhere in the midst of it all He was there. I can now look at this photo and see how God was present. I wonder how I missed Him for so many years. How did I not feel His spirit within me? Through the tempers and broken hearts there was one thing He was sure to place on my heart.

Love your children.

Mistakes were made and harsh words were said but in the end I always made sure my boys knew they were loved.

Prayers were not said and devotionals were not read but in the end I always made sure my boys knew they were loved.

This picture remains a favorite because the look on their faces tells me they knew how much they were loved. I thought I was far from God but He was always near. He had impressed something important on my heart.

Love your children.

Dr. Rob Rienow of Visionary Family Ministries was recently a guest speaker at my church. He shared a scary statistic of how 75% of children leave their faith when they become adults. My two boys were not raised in the church so they did not have a faith to leave. Dr. Rienow's message was one that encouraged me to always be praying. It's never too late to win the souls of our children. God won mine at the age of 42—it's never too late.

God used this photo to bless me in a new way. I see the precious innocence of my boys and find God's grace. I see how God shows up among our messy and imperfect lives. 

I'm reminded to hold on to hope.

"And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."  ~ Romans 5:5 (NIV)

Even in my unbelief He had not given up on me. He was still there showing me how to love my children. Oh, how my heart begins beating with a renewed excitement over what He will do now that I do believe.

It is never too late to win the souls of our children.