A Reward?

We've finished the first six weeks of homeschooling: Bible lessons, math, reading - you know the basics. :) The Bible curriculum we're using (Positive Action) has the kids memorizing a verse a week. The girls each work on their own and also end up learning each others. The last few weeks the verses have been from Ephesians 6. I'm sure you moms are familiar:

"Children OBEY your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother..."

Laurianna has learned the first three verses and McKenna the first one. And I'll remind them of that too!

"What does the Bible say?" Yep. It's in the Bible. You HAVE to obey me. God said it. Better do it. Got it?

Today's verse for McKenna hit a little closer to home for me. I try to put all the girls verses on 4x6 cards and into a little picture album for them. Her verse was Psalm 27:3 "Children are a heritage from the Lord. They are a reward from Him."

Immediately my mind started racing. Kaleb is screaming. There are blobs of yogurt and peanut butter stuck to my clean floor. Cheerios are scattered everywhere over the house from one of the kids. There is soap squirted all over the bathroom from a certain someone who tried to wash his own hands. And two of my children are literally streaking around the house naked with streams of toilet paper sticking out of their bottoms because they are pretending they are tail feathers (I seriously can't make this stuff up!).

This is a reward? My reward? Can I talk to the One is charge for a minute? hmmm....

Life in my house is definitely not picture-perfect. I am not either as I've mentioned before. I know this verse goes so much deeper, but just at face value I have to laugh and think some days God has a great sense of humor. :) especially with me. Even on the days I wonder what I am being rewarded for...sigh...

On the serious side (yes, I can be serious) I do know that my children are a blessing - a heritage - and a reward. Children are a blessing in that they are weapons in the armory of God to protect the spiritual heritage of the Christian family of faith. "As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth." As we raise our children and teach them about God and to become men and women of God, they become straight arrows; they are shot out into the battle of faith, fit to do war with the enemy. This is what I want for my children!! I want them to be willing to give an account of their faith and give praise to God for all that He has done in their lives.

Even when my children are not responding how I envision them or responding how they should, God is showing me something: His grace. His undeserved grace. My salvation depends on that. And truly, if I think (and not too much) I know that I am so incredibly undeserving of His grace towards me. And I have horribly abused that grace. I still do not respond to God always the way that I should. :) Hmmm...my children, me...wonder where they get it from. It is a part of our nature and God is showing me how my relationship with my children parallels my relationship with Him - but He does have a lot more grace and mercy. :) That I will admit.

My relationship with my children is doing a wonderful thing too - it's literally driving me to my Father. I can't do this alone. Four kids!!! There are incredible moments of joy and there are incredible moments of frustration. But my children definitely are a reward to me from a loving and merciful Father.