What Kind of Kids am I Raising?

I don’t know the answer to that question- only God knows. I do know what kind of kids I would like to raise though. I would like W and D to be like Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego. I was wondering what their moms must have been like. Since the book of Daniel takes place when the land of Judah was in exile, their moms must have been challenged to go against the idolatrous culture of that era in raising their sons to believe in God and follow him. Somehow in a country where compromise was the standard, these 4 young men decided to stand strong. Maybe it was parenting. Maybe it was personal choice. Mostly I am sure it was God who got a hold of them and wouldn’t let go. Somehow a deep rooted love for God was planted in their hearts and became a standard from which they made all their decisions. They chose to do right when others chose to compromise. They chose to pray not only when it was convenient but also when praying to God could mean death. They chose to speak the truth to kings even when it would have been easier to just tell the king what he wanted to hear. They were committed and determined. Their lives were not easy but God did bless them. He rescued them from the fiery furnace and the lions. He gave them the opportunity to glorify him in an unknown land. He allowed them to be respected and a part of the government where they were in exile.

As I train my children, I pray that God will plant his love deeply in their hearts. I pray they will be steadfast and committed to the path that God has for them. I pray they will be a shining light in a dark world. I pray that God will use them to influence nations for Him. I pray that they will be like Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach and Abednego. I also pray that when I get distracted by all the things around me that I will remember the awesome task God has for me of loving and training these precious two children. May I never cease to lift them up before the Father. May God help me to be the mom I need to be to raise them to be a Daniel or one of his friends.