Chris and I get so tickled observing our own characteristics in our chilren. Chris swears that Mary Cate is a "little Lisa" and I know Jack is just like is father! I'm not sure who Ellie is. She's one of kind!
It's great to raise our children in the pattern of our likeness to some extent. Chris and I carefully teach our kids to Love God, Love Texas and Love Texas Tech - ha! However, we need to be careful as we train them in the ways of the Lord, to make sure they are establishing their own unique relationship with Christ as well.
I was raised in a great Christian home. My parents modeled Christianity for me. I had an amazing youth minister. I had Bible knowledge and knew how to pray the "right" way. The problem came when I moved away from home. I realized I had been living on my parents and youth minister's faith. I didn't have a very strong relationship with Christ on my own. When I moved out from under my parents umbrella of faith, I stumbled when tempted.
Now that I'm a parent, my prayer is that as I am living out my faith in front of my kids that they will begin to establish their own relationship with Christ. I pray their personal faith would be so strong that their relationship with God supersedes all else in their life - even my influence! I pray their relationship with the Lord would truly be their own and not an extension of mine or anyone else's.
When my time on this earth is through, may my children's faith be strong enough to keep them "steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord", 1 Corinthians 15:58.
So teach your kids how to make grandma's banana pudding; brain wash them to cheer only for your alma mater; share your own personal faith stories but then may we encourage them to pray on their own, search the scriptures for themselves and trust God to speak to them in an individual and unique way that is just for them.
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