Passing Our Stones to Our Children

My sweet, caring daughter bounced through the door with her ever so chipper, "Hi-ya mom!" I didn't return her "Hello" with my normal enthusiasm and hadn't been able to in quite a while. It's not that I wasn't happy to see her; I was depressed and consumed by painful issues happening at work.

I spent months nurturing these wounds until they held their own position in the life of my family. Heck, they were so prevalent in all aspects of our life, I may as well have had their own place at the dinner table! 

She came over and gave me a big hug. Her eyes were full of love and a misty tear as she looked at me and said, "Its okay mom. She's a big bully and I don't like her. Maybe she'll just DIE!" 

In that instant, I knew I had let her down. Instead of trusting God with my wounds from work, I had held on to them. For the first time I could see how they affected my sweet little girl. She saw my pain and anger, and because of her love for me, she picked up my stones and made them her's as well. 

"My son, obey your father’s commands, and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction. Keep their words always in your heart. Tie them around your neck.", (Proverbs 6:20-21, NLT) [emphasis added]

I know the above verse assumes the parents are sharing instruction that lines up with the Word of God...but how many times are we unintentionally teaching our sweet little ones the wrong stuff?

I definitely don't want my children to learn "Stone Nurturing" skills from me. The verse above says what they learn from us can become a weight around their neck . I'm struck with uneasy images of my children with boulders hanging around there neck...similar to the old mafia movies with cement shoes. 

Absolutely NOT what I want for my children!  

"Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.", (Matthew 11:28-30, NLT) [emphasis added]

As parents we unintentionally teach our children some wrong things...but God says "Let me teach you". The things He teaches us will not be like heavy stones around our necks...our lessons from Him will be easy to bear. 

Isn't it beautiful that He knows that we need Him to be our perfect teacher? Our job is to be a good student, and lead our children to be His student as well. I'm ready...Class is in session!



Dear Lord, Help me have the courage to release my "stones" to you instead of nurturing them. Protect my children from the wrong lessons I have taught them. Replace the "stones" that may be weights around their neck with the hope, freedom, and healing that can only come from you. I submit myself to be Your student and ask you to help me teach my children to be Your student too. I thank You for this. In Jesus' name I pray~ Amen

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