Thanks Oneida Stiles for sharing, love you! From: Love Dare for Parents, by Stephen & Alex Kendrick (Homelife July 2013) “Every child is a one-of-a-kind mini-masterpiece. No known duplicates exist. Each has distinctive fingerprints, heart rhythms, eye patterns, and blood constitution. Even identical twins can be physically alike and yet light years apart in how they’re mentally wired and gifted. Children don’t just grow up different; they show up different. Though circumstances and training will greatly affect their lives, the originality that’s already ingrained into children reflects brilliant preplanning. Every birthmark is a trademark. Every special feature is a signature of divine design. The Scriptures state that God doesn’t just open a mother’s womb to conceive (Genesis 30:22), but He’s personally involved in forming and weaving the systems of their bodies into a tapestry of life (Psalm 139:13-14). He draws the blueprints for every little boy and owns the copyright on every little girl. But His handiwork goes far beyond gender, shoe size, and eye color. His genius also inscribes the intricacies of their personalities, their perks and quirks, the bounces in their gait, their eagerness to jump, or their cautious tendency to wait. He handpicks their preferences. He rations out their healthy passions. These aren’t random choices. God always creates each child with intention. He desires His power, creativity, and image to be uniquely reflected in each living soul. Children are also distinctively wired for the purpose of helping others (Ephesians 2:10). God places them into a specific time and space and enables them to thrive where others are ill-equipped, to meet unique needs others can’t. Love invites you to go on an adventure of discovery by unpacking the marvelous mystery of their design. It’s discovery with direction. It’s listening and learning how each child thinks, dreams, and grows. It’s separating their God-given leaning from their temporary longing. It’s watching their habits, guarding them against their weaknesses, and growing them in their strengths. Uncover and embrace the treasure you’ve been given. Accept and affirm their design. Water and cultivate the seeds God’s already planted so they can joyfully echo the words of the psalmist when he gratefully prayed, “For it was You who created my inward parts; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:13-14a)
Posted on: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 23:01:41 +0000
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