“Their descendants will be known throughout the earth, and... ...everyone will know their children. Whoever sees them will know that the Lord has blessed them.”
Have you ever noticed how even the humblest of people swell with pride when talking about their children? Folks who never consider bragging on themselves can unleash a litany of their offspring’s accomplishments which mimics a rehearsed introduction to a famous public speaker. Parents unashamedly and proudly proclaim the achievements of their kids.
I’m one of them. I admit to be overly proud of my children for excelling in a variety of venues. I’ve developed short descriptives designed to peak interest in casual conversation and secure an invitation to say more. Here’s a few of my favorite openers…
- “My oldest is a C.P.A. living in Eugene.”
- “My daughter is a successful Portland Real Estate broker.”
- “My son played professional baseball.”
- “My boy is a published composer.”
- “My youngest son took first place in the regional Bible Bee.”
- “My son is a commercial broker with a top-notch firm.”
- “My youngest was the best setter on her volleyball team.”
- “My boy is on the national honor society.”
- “My son attends the Air Force Academy.”
- “My little girl is so precious. Want to see a picture?”
I can’t help it. These accolades roll off my tongue. I look for any possible excuse to talk about my children’s successes. They reflect on me and I love the image they cast. ‘Bragging rights’ are instinctive when it comes to children. Something’s at stake. Typical parents do everything in their power to insure the success of their kids and then talk about them to anyone who will listen. As a mother or father grows old, it dawns on them that their personal success becomes much less important than that of their children’s. God made parents this way.
Of all the blessings He bestows, the gift of children is the best. The Lord compares children to arrows and commends the man “whose quiver is full of them” (Psalm 127.5). The only thing better than having and raising kids is watching them succeed. When Isaiah 61.9 becomes true for me, I might as well die and go to heaven. It could never get better than this...
“Their descendants will be known throughout the earth, and everyone will know their children. Whoever sees them will know that the Lord has blessed them.”
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5 comments:
I sometimes wonder what my life would be like if my wife and I had started a family. Maybe we would still be married (or maybe not). Every where you go there are kids. Nearly every car, nearly every house, nearly every street, nearly every park, nearly every store has kids in it.
I have no experience with kids. Kids make me nervous. They scare me because they do dumb things which could result in my inadvertently hurting them. They are tiny and fragile so the littlest thing can hurt them. The thing that scares me the most is the enormous legal liability they represent to any adult. In the eyes of the law, if a child is hurt or even just frightened, any involved adult is automatically guilty until proven innocent.
As a parent, you look at children in a much different light but as for me – I do my best to stay clear of them. I know that seems sad to you but it’s just part of my life.
Hi Charlie,
Thanks for sharing from your heart, Charlie. I agree with you in a way. It is hard even for me to be close to kids that are not my own. But when you really love someone (like your own children), the risks are worth it.
Sometimes I worry about my kids getting hurt and the pain that would cause the rest of my family and me. However, I'm willing to take the risk because my life is so much better than if I did not have my children.
It sounds corny, but I would rather have loved and lost love than not to have loved at all. That's the main issue for me. I have decided its worth the risk. I truly respect your choices in life and appreciate you talking about them in this forum.
God bless you, my brother,
Dave
I believe the word: "blessing" has been warped somewhere in the 2700 years since Isaiah wrote these words. My children are an indescribeable blessing to me, and it has little, if anything to do with worldly accomplishments.
Surely I am proud of the 4.0 GPA on the report card. But what brings the greatest pleasure to me is the seemingly constant reminders from teachers and other parents about how kind and considerate my children are. I will take that success over any other that the world has to offer.
A word to Charlie: I can relate. Last Christmas Eve, my seven year old crammed a plasic piece of light-bright, all the way up her left nostril. Took five minutes with the tweasers to yank it out. Scary at first, but in the end, hysterical. My children are a blessing to me, often for the strangest of reasons.
Dave, wasn't being critical of you. I know you feel the same way I do about the things of greatest
importance. But in a world where eight year old boys are already "specializing" in their sport, and being expected to excel for the sake of the parents, I thought it had to be said.
Thanks for the blog. Always enjoy your thoughts.
Can't imagine my life without the kids and now without the grandchildren.
Charlie, just borrow a kid , so you can go see a kids movie , provide child care for the four old class at church. Let them miniister to you.
Hi Anonymous,
I think you are right. Frankly, even I think I am a little too achievement oriented sometimes. Thanks for the honest feedback. Your words are a good reminder to stay focused on the character of a person, not just his or her accomplishments.
Dave
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