Seek First: Delighting in the Design

For those of you who have just dropped by, I’m digging for treasure in God’s Word this month. Matthew 6:33 promises, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” I believe “all these things” includes the treasures I’m seeking in the diaper pail –the jewels of joy, nuggets of wisdom and pearls of peace–but before I seek the gems, I must seek the Giver of good gifts (James 1:17). I’d be honored if you’d join me!

Laurie Sargent, author of Delight in Your Child’s Design suggests: “Take a moment to consider the advice of Phil 4:8. “What in your child is excellent, honorable, and admirable? Fix your thoughts on what is lovely and worthy of praise. The same child who always seems to defy you may someday be able to look a classmate in the eye and say “NO!” when he’s offered a joint. Your extremely shy daughter may be the only one with enough sensitivity to reach the lonely heart of a grandparent who is grieving over the loss of a spouse. It can be refreshing to stop, look at your kids, and listen to them long enough and deeply enough to consider all that is admirable in them.”

If you’re feeling frustrated with a piece of your child’s design, ask God to show you that quality through His eyes. Shortly after God confronted me on my critical attitude towards my firstborn, I found myself watching Luke from the kitchen window. Leaving matted grass in their wake, Luke’s fast feet taunted the neighbor boys six paces behind. Unable to understand my son’s fierce determination, I stood at the window and battled old-familiar feelings of irritation. Gently, the Lord interrupted with a Holy-Spirit prompt. “Pray that those fast feet will chase hard after Me.”  And suddenly, I spotted a bit of the “David” beneath the stone.

It was a simple prayer, but a profound turning point for me. It marked the beginning of my teaming with the Lord to help Lukas live out God’s plan for him, not mine. A simple poem I penned after my moment at the window captured the heart change that God was working in me. (My faithful blog readers may recognize this poem from an earlier post. May it speak afresh!)

Chase after promises always assured.

(My fast-footed son has learned to put his speed to good use!  Here  is a picture of him celebrating his basketball team’s recent state championship victory.  While Luke scored the tie-breaking shot to seal the win, it was his sweet humility that glowed brighter than that obnoxiously shiny trophy. For his mom, it was a glimpse of the David in the stone.  God is faithful!)

Today, let’s ask the Potter to guide our “shaping prayers” as we pray our children through the days to come. He delights in answering.

Parent’s Pondering: How can I employ prayer to better partner with the Potter? Choose a characteristic you want to pray over your child, such as perseverance, wisdom, self-control, or humility.  Using a concordance (check the back of your Bible or go to BibleGateway.com for an electronic concordance), find a verse that you can memorize and personalize in prayer. Write that verse on an index card and carry it with you this week. Use brief moments of free time- in the car, at work, in the bathtub- to pray scripture over your child with great expectation! When we pray God’s own word, we can be confident that we are praying His will!