Roots Before Wings / From Diapers to Diapers

Fathers don't aggravate our children. It's so easy to do. Sometimes I really am enticed to do it. But the atmosphere with it with with which our homes are built on is something that they will remember for the rest of their lives even as young as just a couple of years old. The climate in which our house is built on, if it's filled with anger, if it's filled with chaos, if it's filled with criticism or unpredictability, it produces an insecurity within our children. But a home built on grace, seeing what God has done for his people and and showing that to our children, like a home built with peace, a home built on encouragement and consistently showing up helps our children learn and grow the best way that they can. [00:16:44] (70 seconds)  #GraceFilledHome

What are the roots we're building into our families today? Does my child consistently experience love and grace from me as a parent? What rhythms do I create in my home to spiritual spiritually shape my house day after day, week after week? Am I focusing my life on teaching my children who Jesus is and allowing them to grow at their pace? Long before children get to go out and spread their wings and and change into who they are, we as parents and those who are are breathing into their lives are shaping their roots and allowing them to grow a solid foundation that will be with them for the remainder of their life. Let's pray. [00:25:13] (59 seconds)  #RootedInFaith

It feels insignificant at times. Does it really matter what we're doing and how we treat this child or or can I just sit there and play Madden while I bounce my child along for the first few months? But scripture reminds us that the earliest years, the childhood years are their formative years where the child doesn't fully understand what theology is but they understand that I choose to go to church. They understand that that that's part of our routine. They understand and they're learning that they can trust me as their father, That I provide them security, that I provide them love, that I provide them a consistency of showing up day after day, that I provide grace, and that I provide truth. [00:04:42] (59 seconds)  #EarlyYearsMatter

It says in the earlier verses of that chapter, unless the Lord builds a home and I'm a construction worker, unless the Lord builds a home, the work of the builder is wasted. I can work all of my life and and try as hard as I possibly can, but if I don't give my family to God, if I don't point them towards God, all of my work is for nothing. Our children don't need us to to power everything through. Our children don't need the perfect and flawless parent. They need parents who are present. They need someone to show up day after day to show them what it means to love them. [00:07:01] (48 seconds)  #PresenceOverPerfection

And I recall making the decision between Paula and I, we made the decision that we're just gonna let him cry and just let him soothe himself back to sleep. And I remember us laying in our bed and we were crying as he was crying because we wanted so badly to walk in there and just soothe, and we had to allow him to learn what it means to calm yourself down. And I shared that with Indira, and she took her own spin on that and it it it we don't always get everything right. Every child is different. But collectively, if we're pursuing after what God wants of us, seeing how he treated us and implementing that into our lives, building this foundation with a community surrounding us, That's how we succeed as parents. [00:24:08] (65 seconds)  #CommunityRaisesKids

And as I read through that, I I I reminded myself our picture of what a true father, what a true parent is, is our heavenly father. The people, his his chosen people, God's chosen people whom he rescued from slavery, who he provided food for, whom he provided safety for, whom he provided the promised land to, Over and over and over again rebelled against their father. And you don't see God pull out the paddle and start disciplining his child with with with anger. You don't see God creating chaos within his own people. What we see over and over and over again is that he loves his chosen people so much even though they don't reciprocate at all times. He loves his children so much that he gives grace and mercy over and over and over again. [00:11:55] (69 seconds)  #GraceLikeGod

But a home built on grace, seeing what God has done for his people and and showing that to our children, like a home built with peace, a home built on encouragement and consistently showing up helps our children learn and grow the best way that they can. Children grow when they feel safe. Children grow when they feel loved. Children grow when they feel heard. Children grow when they are valued. This happens in young children and and raising families takes a long time. Some of you have accomplished adult children that are doing amazing things. And when you're in the nitty gritty of of raising a child, sometimes you don't see the things that are happening. [00:17:31] (65 seconds)  #SafeToGrow

Parenting in the early years is planting seeds. We've got a farm next to us. They came by and they drove over it with all their equipment and they spray whatever they spray and they they plant the seeds as they go along. And right now, it looks like nothing happened except there's some extra lines in the field. All through the early early formative years, things are changing and forming. And you don't always see immediate answers to what we're doing. Sometimes the repetition feels unnoticed. It's like trying to train a dog. Sometimes they get it, sometimes they pee in your house. Sometimes you feel like you're just correcting the same things over and over and over again. But roots take time. The seed grows and and the roots grow out and and the roots, if you cut it if you cut it in a flower off at the roots, it dies very quickly. The roots are what give life to this child over and over and over for the rest of its life. That's what we're doing in the early formative years. [00:21:13] (82 seconds)  #PlantingRoots