Persistence and Victories (Part 2)....Finally!

So....to finally finish that post I started um....last week, I think.  It was long enough ago that I don't remember for sure.  Next time, I'll just wait to post anything.  Think that's a better idea.  And this will probably be the short version because I'm having eyesight issues and reading/writing anything these days makes me dizzy and woozy.  (ALWAYS something with me!)

OK....here we go....parenting is tough.  So much work and sometimes, so little payoff.  But I had one of those moments a couple weeks ago, when I remembered why we persist.  Thomas had a rough Friday at school, several weeks back now.  I think it was at the end of the second full week, maybe the third.  Anyway, the following Monday, I asked him if he wanted to pray before he got out of the van.  He said, "Yes," and then proceeded to take my hand and Gaby's (love that!)  Clayton turned around from the from seat and held Gaby's hand too, and put his arm around Thomas.  (I hope you're getting the visual because that in and of itself, was a beautiful picture to this Mama!)

Fast forward....we've prayed everyday since.  Every morning before Thomas climbs out of the van, we pray.  Sometimes he holds my hand and Gaby's, sometimes mine and Elena's, or my favorite--Gaby's and Elena's.  It's really too sweet.  He always starts us off, "Dear Jesus, We thank you for this day...."  Then, I pray our "special" prayer (whatever God has laid on my heart that morning.)  I mean, if in all the chaos and hard stuff there is one shining moment that I will carry with me always, it's likely this.  Seeing all my babies holding hands and praying....inside the minivan.  It's just plain cool.

My real victory in all of this (BESIDES that my children are learning to pray and even pray together), is that last year, before I'd drop Clayton at school, I'd often feel the nudge to pray for him.  I should correct that, pray with him, before he got out of the van.  It was apparent that I was inconveniencing him most mornings.  He wanted to hurry to the playground to get in a few rounds of fun before school.  I didn't pray every morning, just when I felt prompted.  One day, I think we even sort of had an argument about it.  I remember telling Ronnie about it when he got home and asking him if he thought I was doing the wrong thing since it was so clearly annoying Clay.  I told Ronnie that I really felt like I was doing it out of obedience to the Spirit's prompting, so I kind of didn't care that Clay was annoyed.  :)  I don't remember exactly how Ronnie responded to be honest.  Guess it doesn't really matter.  There's not a whole lot of "righteous" arguing with the Spirit anyway!   All that to say, Clayton asked me to pray for him before he got out of the van when we pulled up at school!  This for me was a huge victory.  A huge lesson in planting seeds (even when my kids don't want me to plant.)  I was thrilled.  I love to pray for my children and I'm learning to be more diligent about doing so, but it was a completely new feeling of joy to be asked by Clayton to pray for him.  The timeline is getting messy in my head, but it was only a few days after we started praying together at T's school at his drop-off.

Another piece of this that I love--when we pull up to T's school every morning and he starts the climb forward from the back seat, Gab immediately sticks out her hands and says, "Pay!"  (Typing that seems funny!  Maybe she's been asking for money this whole time!  I thought she was just missing the "r"!)  I'm going with the "r" thing, :) and I love that my barely two year-old has a seed of prayer sown in her heart.

So the lesson to myself and encouragement to others is:  keep on keepin' on.  When you see no fruit, keep on.  When it's hard, keep on.  When it seems like this will never pay off, keep on.  When you make your kids mad, keep on.  It will require strength and determination, but keep on, good and faithful servant.  God honors our diligence and persistence when it comes to raising our children in ways that glorify Him.  I will always point my kids to Christ.  And prayerfully, I will rejoice at the times of seeing the fruit because it is so so sweet.