Just what I needed to hear

In a life that has already been full of adventure and amazing things, my children are my greatest joy. But they are also my greatest challenge. Some weeks are harder than others. The last couple of weeks have been those kind of weeks, but as I read the notes that Lucy's BSF teachers gave me this week (called Home Training Lessons), I found great encouragement in these words:

"Recognizing the place God wants you to be, being satisfied in it, and doing your part diligently are significant steps for parents. It is possible to overlook the seriousness of this privileged role. The temptation is great to respond to the world's clamoring that only outside the home can an adult do something worthwhile, fulfilling, or beneficial for mankind. And it is very easy to neglect the daily opportunities to nurture a child. It is a wise, confident adult who can say, 'I am a parent. I am responsible to be with my children. It matters that I am here. No other responsibility is more important.'"

The place God wants me to be... Here I am.

And "daily opportunities." Do I recognize them?

Read that paragraph again. It took me about four times to absorb it.

And also this, derived from the Aaronic blessing in Numbers 6:

"God wants to bless you in the position He has assigned you. Recall the first moment you saw and touched your child. Perhaps you were overwhelmed with the realization that God had brought a remarkable blessing into your life. As you follow His guidance, believe His promises, and trust in His plan for you and your child, there will be constant blessing. God will keep and protect you. He will make His face to shine upon you, even on the most exhausting days. He will be gracious to you, especially when the answers in parenting seem difficult to discern. As you seek Him, He will turn His face to you and give you peace."

You can bet that I'll be seeking His shining face this week, and counting on His peace.