Getting to Know Them

Well, the last day of school is now official. Distance learning was a new adventure that required communicating in ways that we have never experienced in our home. There is talk that school will begin distant in the fall and we are still being asked to stay at home. It has been a very unusual spring and it doesn't look like summer is going to be much different. 

I have looked for ways to make our time at home as fun as possible for my children. So, I decided to venture to the backyard and garden with them. 

Gardening is a lot of work, but we have had a great time talking, joking, and laughing. I started learning new things about them and God taught me a lesson that I am learning to apply. 

See, I have been guilty of saying, "I just don't understand you" to my children, which has never helped me understand them better. 

But, God showed me in His word that He never told us to understand Him; He said to know Him. In knowing Him we will begin to understand His truths. 

As I have applied that same concept to my children, it has opened a clear line of communication and I have begun to understand their humor, personality, quirks, and also fears strengths, and weaknesses. 

They are changing as they grow and forming into young adults. When they spend most of their day in public school, exposed to the world culture, ideas, and opinions, it plays a huge role in shaping who they are becoming. 

The little time that I have them at home should not be spent frustrated in a lack of understanding them but that time spent being a part of who they are becoming. Getting to know them allows me the opportunity to encourage them in God's truth, instill godly values, and help guide them in wisdom. 

I know this pandemic has been hard. It's changed our normal routines and the way we communicate, but I am so thankful for the lessons God is teaching in the midst of it. I am grateful for the precious gift of my children and getting to know them will be a lifetime adventure.