Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Delighting in my children

There are times when I wonder if my life would be easier if I only had 1 or 2 children! I sometimes get envious or people who have 2 children and I covet all the time they probably get to spend with each of their children individually. Those times when I lie down on the couch to have a cuddle and read a book with 1 child, then as soon as the others see my lying down they come running over and crawl all over me looking for a spot to squeeze into. Those times when I am pushing 1 child on a swing and delighting in their smiles and laughter, and then the other 3 hop onto the adjoining swings and plead to be swung as well.


To be honest, I often have to force myself to enjoy their company. To not begrude their presence, especially when they start quarreling and whining! But, when I start thinking like this I have to redirect my thoughts and turn them into praise and thanks to God for giving me my 4 wonderful children. I think about all the wonderful blessings there are in having 4 children. I love watching them chase each other, cuddling each other, helping each other, being kind to each other, laughing together, conversing with each other, praying together.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to spend a whole morning with my 3 child. It was such a delight, we fed the ducks, played on the playground, and painted together. It was wonderful to be able to focus just on her, to give my full attention to her, to walk at her pace, go where she wanted to go, without having to keep my eyes on 2 or 3 others in my care! All throughout my time with her I was thinking about how much God delights in us spending time with Him. Even though my 3rd child is with me all throughout my day, I don’t get to interact with her intimately very often because my attention is spread around on other children and tasks before me. That is why I need to set aside time each day to sit with her, to cuddle her, to enjoy her, to find out more about her. If I don’t do this with each of my children, they may start to feel unloved, distant from me, even though I am right there with them all the day. In the same way I know that God is with me all throughout my day, I talk to Him, think about Him, but how often do I actually sit down and spend time with Him, talking to Him, allowing Him to talk with me, to learn more about Him. If I don’t do this He won’t love me any less because His love never changes, His love is unconditional, but I will start to feel less in love with Him. I will start to feel distant from Him. While reading “Communion with God” by the Puritan Pastor John Owen, I came across these thoughts about God’s love.


“…God’s love is like the sun, always the same, always the same in its light, though a cloud may sometimes hide it. Our love is like the moon. Sometimes it is full. Sometimes it is only a thin crescemt.


The love of the Father is the same for all whom He has chosen to love. Whom God loves He loves to the end, and He loves them all alike. On whom He sets His love, it is set for ever. God’s love does not grow to eternity or lessen in time. God’s love is an eternal love that had no beginning and that shall have no end. It is a love that cannot be increased by anything we do and that cannot be lessened by anything in us.”

When I think about how hard it is sometimes to show love to my children, to spend time with them individually, to delight in their company and in the things they do, I realised how truly amazing God is in the way He loves so many of us in such an intimate way, all at the same time! I love it when all of us are together, when we have fun together, when we go out together, go to church together, and part of my loving being together is cultivated through spending time with each member of my family individually (my husband included). Imagine how much it must delight God to see His family spending time with each other, when we pray together, when we do good works for each other, when we encourage and exhort each other when we are in church rejoicing in Him together.

John Owen says later in his book,

“Christ refreshes himself with his own graces in his people, by his Spirit which he has given them. The Lord Christ greatly delights in the sweet fruits of the Spirit in his saints.”

I find it truly amazing that God should delight in me??! I am so thankful for the love of God,


Give thanks to the Lord for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 136:1



1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Felicity
I have often felt that I have not spent enough time enjoying my children. Raising the eight of them alone, sometimes all I could manage was to take care of their physical needs for food, shelter, clothing, education etc...and try to teach them about the Lord Jesus. Many times, I was so exhausted by the end of tne day that I begrudged their presence,also. Now they are adults and teenagers, I wonder if we would have been closer if I could have stretched myself a little more.
You are doing a great job and are an inspiration to me.
Love and prayers
Hazel