Article by Laura Hurd
As a parent, you will find that as your children get older, those once overflowing teachable moments will begin the transform into longer pit stops that are fewer and further in between the miles on the child rearing journey. When it happens, you will experience an almost frantic-like sensation as they take their first steps into the adult world God has prepared for them.
They put on a whole new set of attitudes and behaviors and they will become unrecognizable from that child you once knew so well. I was thinking about this part of growing up and realized that those early years really are for laying a good and sturdy foundation for them. Just like when building a house. When you dig out the footers to prep for the concrete, those first steps are crucial. You want a level foundation to build upon. After some time passes and a bit of construction is completed, soon you will no longer see those footers. They will be covered by block and by dirt-often many feet underground. Even though that crucial foundation is no longer visible, you are never dismissed from its importance.
Once the teen years roll around, the base of the house of your child is ready to be built upon. And they will build! They will begin taking the lead on the workmanship of what you have prepared for them. More and more they will decide what style they prefer, what neighborhood they will be a part of, and what materials they will be equipped with. The more rock solid and dependable that foundation is, the more confidence they will have as they use their own hands to complete the building process.
Thankfully, we will forever be our child’s parent. God is gracious in allowing us to still have moments when that carpenter may need advice from the project manager. That may look like them having two good options for roofing, but because they aren’t quite sure on which would be the better option, the return to the experienced project manager to get their opinion. Discernment is not knowing the difference between good and bad, but rather the difference between something good and something even better. As they grow in their walk with the Lord and put the finishing touches on their house, they will gain this experience as well.
However, they will find out that as a Christian who desires to mature in Christ, they will be working on this building for life. Christ’s work is finished, but we get the joy of partaking in the labor through our Lord. It can sometimes feel tedious. It can also put you in a more solitude position where you wonder if the work is worth it. God may bring a storm and massive destruction will come upon your house. It will look like a hopeless cause. But, the foundation stands strong because God was honored in the making of it. It will not be removed and the conviction of the finished work of Jesus will bring peace and hope to look at the loss through the lens of His word- through His truth and not what our eyes see without it.
So, build those little ones’ foundation with great care because one day, you will hand the tools over one by one and you will get to see God at work in their lives in a whole new light.
Laura Hurd lives in Mt. Carmel, TN with her husband, Joseph and their two boys. When she's not homeschooling you can catch Laura writing, taking and documenting her local adventures, and faithfully serving the Lord both in her church and community.
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