JAMtime

A month or two ago, our family had the privilege of attending my cousin’s wedding.  She got married in the mountains of North Carolina – oh my goodness, it was absolutely beautiful up there!  The wedding was at a camp that is very special to the couple and it couldn’t have been more of a perfect place for the ceremony – not as much because of the scenery (which was gorgeous), but mainly because of what it symbolized to them in their journey with Christ in their relationship.  The whole weekend was definitely a celebration of what God had done through them, what He was going to do through their marriage, and who He had used to help develop, grow, and strengthen them in their walk with the Lord.  Here is a couple that wasn’t just trying to have a “Christian” wedding and would eventually grow into their faith as the years progressed.  No, here is a couple that is all about the Lord NOW – I can’t even describe it – their faith just radiates from them.  This is a couple that is going to use their marriage to glorify God, no doubt…

…And here is a couple that treasured the relationships God brought into their lives along the way and honored them.  To say they were surrounded by a mass of people that had impacted their lives for the Lord would be an understatement.  There were people from every stage of their lives – all gathered far away from home to honor their precious Christian friends.  The words that were shared, the stories told, and the apparent love of friends showed that God had used all of these friends and family in such an incredible way in each other’s lives.   To have the privilege of watching the wedding party join around the bride and groom right before the ceremony, praying over them, and then lifting up their voices together in a praise song to God brought tears to my eyes.  I was so thankful that my oldest daughter (in her first experience as a flower girl) got to be a part of a truly godly wedding.

The whole thing really unsettled me (in a good way) and got me thinking (which doesn’t take much) about something I believe God has been making very REAL to me lately…who your child chooses to marry is huge.  I think we all know that, in fact, for many of us that’s a “duh” statement.  But do you really KNOW it?  Does it resonate in your soul?  Do you realize the huge impact that one decision makes on a lifetime? 

I think one of the biggest things that hit me that weekend (yet another “duh” thing, but a reminder I definitely needed to hear) is something that happened at the rehearsal dinner.  The groom’s grandfather stood up and shared that as a young father he and his wife had been challenged to pray for their children’s future spouses.  He shared that they took the challenge, even though that seemed so far off, as they were just beginning to expand their family and the children they had were very small.  He said time after time they would diligently pray for those future husbands and wives, not knowing who they were, or when they would come.  Here was a man that I could tell was so sincere – the passion and emotion in his words made it very obvious that he had, indeed, been on his knees for his family.  Now, he said, that they are all grown and have grown children, he and his wife have been fervently praying as well for his grandchildren’s future spouses.  It was so moving for him to look at my cousin and tell her that he had been praying specifically for her – although he didn’t always know who she was, she had been in his prayers for years and years.  And now it was very clear that she was the answer to those prayers.

Do we want that moment with all of our heart for our children?  Are we fervently praying for our children and who they will choose to spend a lifetime with?  We need to focus on the end just as much as we focus on the everyday little things.  We are raising what are most likely future husbands, wives, fathers, and mothers.  They will live under their own roof much longer than they will live under ours.  Do our prayers and our training reflect our goals for the kind of person we want them to become?  Do our prayers and our training show our children that God’s heart for them is to marry someone that loves and serves Him above anything else?  Do we realize the heaviness of it all?  I want to be like that grandfather – to be able to see generation after generation following hard after God and training their children to do the same.  What a treasure that would be!  Lord, make me a prayer warrior for my children.  Impress your heart on their little hearts!

For suggestions on praying for your children click on this link – it has 31 topics listed for prayer for your children – something specific to pray for each day of the month…

http://www.navpress.com/Assets/PDF/Product/Sample/9781576839003.pdf

or better yet, make up your own list that’s unique to your children – come up with one for each day of the month and then start over on the 1^st each time.  As they grow, adjust it to fit that stage of life.