To my boys (& any future children that the Lord may bless us with)…
There’s really not adequate words to describe how I much I love being your mommy. I look at each of you, and am completely humbled. I’m humbled that the Lord has entrusted you to your daddy and me. You are precious gifts to us. I’m in awe that the Lord has allowed us a front row seat to watch you grow. Joy is another adjective that comes to mind. The Lord has no doubt used your sweet smiles and funny sayings to fill my heart with such a sweet joy.
We recognized our seniors in church today, and it hit me that we’ll blink and you will be the ones on that stage. Some days are long, but goodness, these years are going by so fast. So, as I watched our seniors, I couldn’t help but think about you, and what I pray for you at 18 and beyond.
Many parents say things like, “We just want to raise good kids” or “We just want our kids to be happy and successful”. And I know that there’s good intentions behind these sentiments, but with all of the love in my heart, boys, I want so much more than these things from and for you.
You see, boys, the “more” that I’m talking about is that you know and love Jesus, and that you spend your days pursuing hard after Him. That is my deepest prayer for you. I pray that you know the Gospel, that it goes from head knowledge to heart knowledge, and that you boldly share it with others. I pray that you are Word-dependent, and that the Word of Christ would dwell in you richly. I pray that you keep the love that you have for the local church, and that one day, you would serve in it, just like so many are serving you. I pray that you become leaders of your homes and that you lead your family sacrificially, painting a picture of the Gospel for the world to see. I pray that you shine for Jesus in all that you do.
Sweet boys, I pray for so much more for you than “just good” or “successful” or “happy”. Because the truth is, none of us are good, and righteousness can only be found in Christ. Scripture tells us that all of our good works are like filthy rags apart from Christ. So instead of setting out to “just do good” in the world, I pray that you would set out to do the good works that Christ has determined in advance for you. And as far as success goes, the truth is, the way that the world defines success is far different from how Christ defines it. Christ’s way of success may not bring you wealth or fame, but those things are temporal. Success in Christ will bring you eternal fruits that are immeasurable on this earth. And then when it comes to “happy”, if you’re following Christ like I pray that you do, you will experience times of suffering that the world wouldn’t define as happy. But take it from your mama who has experienced loss, the Lord will still give you joy and grow you so much in those unhappy times.
There’s many things out there in this world that are going to beg for your attention, and some of them will be good things, like sports, or academics, or a job. But the message that the world may send with these things aren’t so good. They’ll tell you that if you just put all of your efforts into sports, you’ll be successful and happy. They’ll tell you that money will satisfy. But boys, don’t believe such lies. One of the prayers that I pray is that the Lord would give your daddy and me the wisdom and grace to navigate these things, and that we would be able to teach you to treat things like sports, academics, and money through the lens of a Christian worldview. I pray that we would be given the godly wisdom to make these things avenues for the Gospel instead of avenues for idolatry. Because boys, what good is it if you win the Heisman, make 5s on every AP test under the sun, and make loads of money, yet lose your soul? Oh sweet boys, please know that your mommy and daddy are sinners just like you and were in need of grace just like you, and because Jesus has saved our souls, and we have found hope, life, and forgiveness in Him, we can’t help but pray and disciple you to find your hope and identity in Him too.
Boys, you have been prayed for since the moment that we knew that you were coming. We’ve been talking to you about Jesus from day 1. I pray that you see that following Jesus is such a vital part of your daddy’s life and of mine. We will never be perfect at parenting or life, but please know that Jesus is so real to us. I pray so earnestly that you would see that Jesus isn’t just something that we talk to you about, but He’s everything to us in how we live our lives. We pray that following Jesus becomes real to you too.
Despite what Hunter says, cooking is not my favorite, but truly, being your mommy is. I love watching you learn new things and watching your imagination take flight. I love how excited you both get when you see “da youff”. I love your love for Mickey Mouse, firetrucks, Thomas the Train, and Lightning McQueen. This girly mama of yours has had to trade in her Disney Princess knowledge for the knowledge of superheroes and tractors, but I love it. Sweet boys, I hope that you know how much you are loved.
And I can’t think of a better way to conclude than with what I always hear your daddy tell you, “We love you, but Jesus loves you more”.
Love,
Your Mommy
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