Our children are precious to God, they should be precious to us

    In Mark 9:36   Jesus was trying to teach his disciples what Greatness in the Eyes of God looks like.  They were arguing amongst themselves who would be the greatest in God’s Kingdom.  Then Jesus sat them down and put a young child before them.  He took the child in his arms and said, “Whoever receives  one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.” 

  In Matthew 19:14 The little children were brought to Him that He might put hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them.  But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me for such is the kingdom of heaven.” And He laid  His hands of them and departed from there. 

  Two very interesting encounters the disciples had with Jesus where it would appear their priorities where a little skewed.  He used his love for children to give them a picture of how God’s perspectives are so very different from the worlds views and ideas of the order of things.  Though these scriptures were meant to teach the disciples about God’s perspective in life, for me, it has reiterated what a wonderful Godly women once taught me when I was a mom of 4 little Derby’s. 

  I was fresh from my first four years on the mission field.  Back on states for a year.  My kids at that time were 8, 7, 5 and 3.  I was struggling so with the responsibility of raising my kids overseas , homeschooling and wanting to be a good wife and missionary.  I felt like I was failing miserably. I really didn’t like homeschooling.  I still had a ways to go with my fluency in the language.  I wanted to be doing meaningful Kingdom work.  I was able to attend a seminar taught by a young mom like me, Brenna Stull.  Her seminar was about how to pray for your children.  Not only did she inspire me to pray for my children in a way I had never imagined, something she said gave me the charge I needed to see God’s perspective for me in this season of life as it related to my children.  These precious gifts from God were given to Doug and I to raise and teach about the living God.  The scripture I took with me that was the framework of my every plan for my children and for ministry opportunities came from Deuteronomy 6:5-9

 ⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

    After that seminar my whole perspective about parenting changed.  I poured myself into showing my children who God was in everything we did.  I changed my attitude about homeschooling and put it in the perspective I was tryng to learn in my own life, God’s heart for the children. Although I still had some very real worries that my kids may never graduate from college, after December of this year, all my children will have a college degree. 

   We also changed our daily routine so we all got up at 6am to see Dad off to work and have devotions together.  At that time, Doug’s schedule was difficult and we never knew if he would be home for dinner, but we knew he would be there for breakfast on the days he wasn’t on call at the hospital so we adjusted.  Those were some sweet times with the  kids.  When they got older we did family Bible study.  My girls missed it so much that when they went to college, they invited their friends to their dorm room to skype  Bible study with their Dad.  Still today they all come to Dad for help in their spiritual walk.  They constantly  ask him for notes from his personal commentaries.   More sweet times still continue. 

  But more than that my children have blessed me beyond my hopes and dreams.

Gary, who is now married to Rez who through his witness in High School helped lead her to faith.  Gary has been a youth minister since he was 19 years old.  He and Rez are raising 2 of their own precious children Karim and Naima.  Together Gary and Rez make a beautiful team for the cause of Christ.  I love to hear Gary preach.  Parts of his father are in every sermon.  This summer and last summer he brought a team to help us with our church planting efforts.  Both times he preached.  It just makes my heart so happy to see.

Jonathan has had so many opportunities in his 26 years of life I just can’t wait to see what is next.  When he was 14 he was in a full length Thai movie as a main actor, which led him to be interested in mass media.  He got a degree in media production and then served as a journeyman with the IMB for 2 years traveling Asia documenting stories of what God is doing in Asia.  This summer he led 5 Nehemiah teams in Thailand. Mentoring, teaching and guiding their work.  Now he is in his last year of seminary at Southeastern and working as a church planter to Thai/Lao people in North Carolina.  He preaches like a young Billy Graham.  (sorry mom biased inserted here)  and like his brother, parts of his father are seen when he preaches. 

Becky is a woman who loves God’s word like no other young women I know.  She graduated from CBU with a degree in Biblical languages.  Her desire is to do translation work for those who still have no way to know God’s Word.  She is married to a civil engineer Josh Duvall, who also grew up in Southeast Asia.  The two of them are applying as I write to be IMB missionaries wherever the Lord will lead.  Both of them use every opportunity God gives to share their faith at work and they lovingly minister in the church in whatever capacity is needed.  I’m just giddy with excitement for where they will be this time next year in the world. 

Sandi is in her last semester of nursing school at CBU.  What a beautiful women of faith she has become.  She has such a caring sensitive heart in all she does. She has been home every summer of her college years just wanting to work along side her Dad.  It’s a joy to see.  God has used her in  many ways while she has been  at CBU to minister and encourage those the Lord has put in her path.  This summer she worked for a couple of months in Phoenix.  Knowing that I was worried about my mom and dad and not being able to help.  She sought every free moment she had to minister to them.   She is a light wherever she goes.  Whatever job she gets out of nursing school will have to allow her an annual trip to work with her Dad.  I’m sure God will provide. 

These 4 lives the Lord gave me to raise.  No mom could be prouder of each one of them.  More than that the years I spent to be the mom God asked me to be for them has rewarded my heart with the blessings of their faith.  To God be All glory and honor.