More than a Ceremony

This morning I had a great experience.  Thirty-one five-year-olds participated in Circle’s 2011 Kindergarten Graduation and I was in the middle of it.  What an awesome opportunity to witness firsthand the excitement of families engaging in the educational process.  The ceremony was simple but the joy was extraordinary; moms and dads, siblings, extended family and friends, all celebrating the accomplishments of a group of young children.  It was great.

In addition to observing their enthusiasm, I had a few minutes to share some thoughts with those in attendance.

Psalm 127 (NKJV)
Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman stays awake in vain.
It is vain for you to rise up early,
To sit up late,
To eat the bread of sorrows;
For so He gives His beloved sleep.

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed,
But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.

Solomon, the author of the Psalm, tells us that children are a heritage from the Lord.  They are a gift, a blessing, a reward and that while the days of child rearing can seem so very long, the years associated with their childhood flies by.  This simple truth was brought to my mind this morning as I enjoyed some time with my one-year old granddaughter Gracie.  As she sat on my lap and played, my mind was transported back in time 26 years to when I held her then, one-year old mother.  The experience was profound because of how much Gracie’s personality is just like her mom’s.  Those days of holding Elisabeth seem like just yesterday, but now I am holding her daughter.  As Linda often says, the days are long, but the years are so very short.

Solomon also tells us that children are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.   We have the profound responsibility to prepare our children for their future. But their future is not isolated from us, in fact, it linked to us and therefore their preparation is so vitally important and demands our full attention.  According to Professor Neil Postman, “Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.”  3000 years ago Solomon suggested the importance of preparing our children as influences in the world. Let us never lose sight of the fact that as parents, we play an essential and irreplaceable role in the launch of those arrows toward their God intended target.

May God grant you wisdom, patience, and grace as you manage your household and raise your children for His glory!

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1. 

   Mom says:

   May 9, 2011 at 8:25 am

   What fun you must have had. Love hearing your encouraging words to parents and your passion that they raise their children in the admoniton of the Lord. Job well done Linda. You are such a blessing to many and especially me.