Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep. Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. (Psalm 127)

There is nothing like children to sharpen, mold, and teach their parents!

In the early life of your child you learn sacrifice and adaptability. What a joy to have your child fully dependent on you for everything which makes these lessons enjoyable.

Then as they grow older, great lessons of humility as they discover that you are a human with a fallen nature.

Yet the hardest and most valuable lessons are the ones you learn when they mature and start making choices (wrong choices) and decisions (very bad ones) that will affect them and others around them. Again, there is that humility lesson that we don’t seem to have retained from previous years. Where have I gone wrong? Are the Lord’s promises true concerning raising our children? Have I done my best as a parent?

The hardest and most valuable lesson is trusting the Lord where you can do nothing! Oh, how I thought I mastered this lesson but how wrong I was!

Teach me Lord to trust you and wait patiently on you.