"Hey Mommy..."

There was a particular spring day when our oldest son was sick. He had been sick most of the weekend with a fever and no appetite, so when Monday morning rolled around and he told me that he still didn’t feel good, he stayed home. We snuggled and watched cartoons while his younger brother went to school. 

Once we started watching cartoons, he started to talk. I mean reallllly started to talk. Anyone who knows our oldest, knows that he is shy and reserved. He is the quieter of our boys. So when he started asking me all these in-depth questions about everything from volcanoes to farming, to what Heaven will be like, birthdays, and school; I realized he had so much on his mind. I was trying to get some work done while our youngest was at preschool, and I kept hearing, “Hey, mommy…” every few minutes. He really opened up to me about his fears, his mistakes and sins, his joys, his nerves, and I couldn’t wait to soak it all in. I have waited for moments like this for a long, long time. It was like a waterfall of words and conversations that didn’t end, and I loved every minute of it. 

My favorite memories from my childhood are these exact same conversations that I had with my parents. As I grew older, they happened more and more often. In the car ride home from visiting family members. After helping dad outside on our hobby farm. After mom had one of her frequent stays in the hospital. On the car ride home from visiting the science museum or the zoo. I’d ask them questions about everything on my mind, including the mistakes I made and my sins, and they’d patiently listen and answer. When we are young children, our parents know everything! I would soak up those conversations like a sponge. Much like the psalmist speaks about our Heavenly Father’s Word in Psalm 119: “I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word” (v.16). “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (v.103). “My heart trembles at your word. I rejoice in your promise like one who finds great spoil” (v.161,162). 

Dad would talk about how to take care of myself once I was out of college, how to find a job, how to take care of cars and a house. How to correct my mistakes; how to learn from my failures. Mom and I had those conversations too; conversations about my mistakes and failures; conversations that encompassed taking care of myself after college, music, friends, college, marriage….everything. You name it; we talked about it. They were giving me life lessons well before I realized that those conversations would carry me into adulthood and parenthood. “Listen…to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck” (Proverbs 1:8-9). I can remember these vivid conversations, and I was about the same age as our oldest is right now. My parents were great role models. They are in Heaven now, and have been there since before my husband and I were married; so our boys, their grandchildren, will have to wait until Heaven to meet them. What a wonderful reunion that my husband and I, and these sweet boys of ours look forward to!

Our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3:20

Those conversations from my childhood are memories that I cherish. So, when I realized that our oldest son wanted to have those same conversations with me, I became really excited. How does that saying go? Something like, “If you don’t listen to the ‘little things', when your children are little, they won’t tell you the ‘big things’, when they are big; because to them, it has always been big.” I pray that these conversations with our oldest continue to blossom, and that our youngest will join these conversations when he is older. Not only the conversations where we talk about school or volcanoes, but the ones where he opens up about his fears and mistakes. We have a lot of conversations about God, forgiveness, and Heaven in our house. I pray that our relationships continue to blossom and grow as our children continue to grow up and mature. I pray these same conversations can and will happen in your house, too. 

As our children are eager and safe in bringing their biggest fears, nerves, joys, and excitements to us; so should we eagerly bring all of these to our Father in Heaven!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

Pray continually. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
Ephesians 6:18

What a blessing our children are to us! While we are teaching them so many different things about life, they remind us how we should humbly and excitedly go to our Heavenly Father with all our requests. 

Heavenly Father, remind us of your great love for us! Just as the children you have blessed us with eagerly come to us, their parents, with all their fears and excitements; may we also have that same eagerness to come to you with our worries, joys, thankfulness, and all of our requests. Help us to engage our children in conversations about you and your Word. May we confess our sins daily to you with contrite hearts, knowing that we have received the full forgiveness of sins. We cling to the knowledge that we will be in Heaven with you and all the saints, for all eternity. Amen.