As we come out of the Memorial Day weekend, all moms are breathing a sigh of relief. May is over. The month that has been said to be “like December without the gifts” is finally done! End of school activities, sports, clubs, graduations and recitals, tournaments and last-minute teacher/parent meetings have come to a close and every mother everywhere says, “amen.” But now we are faced with summer months, which bring their own challenges. My children are older now. They don’t need constant entertainment as they once did. It’s fun for them to have moments of doing nothing. But regardless, I remember facing summers when they were littler and wondering how I was going to keep everyone happy and entertained.
I wish this was a blog on how to keep kids engaged and busy during the summer months, but it’s not. It’s actually a call to something higher. My friend once pointed me to a verse, Nehemiah 6:3.
“So I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down.”
In the book of Nehemiah, we read the memoirs of Nehemiah, a servant and cup-bearer of king Artaxerxes. When learning of Jerusalem’s destruction, Nehemiah is overcome with sorrow and asks the king to allow him to leave and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. It seems simple, right? Get the king’s permission and go with resources to rebuild Jerusalem. But there were many kings back then and many were displeased with this idea. But Nehemiah was faithful to what God had placed on his heart and said, “The God of heaven will help us succeed. We, his servants, will start rebuilding this wall.”
Throughout the rebuild, Nehemiah was met with much resistance and people often tried to call him away from his purpose so they could harm him and prevent Jerusalem’s wall from being rebuilt. But every time a distraction came, Nehemiah said, “I am doing a great work and cannot come down.”
But what does this mean for us who haven’t been called to rebuild walls? Nehemiah is, at its core, a story of what we can accomplish when focusing on God’s calling.
We only have eighteen summers with our children. Eighteen. It seems like a lot at first, but they slip by so quickly. Summers are precious times. Slower mornings, late evenings, and extra time with our babies. Let’s not let this opportunity slip away. There are so many distractions in our lives, but parents need to remember, our main goal is to raise godly, Jesus loving individuals. It’s hard work, no doubt. And we are met with a lot of opposition, but remember: YOU are doing a good work…and cannot come down. Don’t let summer pass without pouring God into your children. Take the extra time you have that is normally filled with school and extra-curricular activities and spend time in the word together. Make summer a chance to deepen your child’s faith. Cling to the hope that the remaining summers you have with your children can become Jesus infused and faith deepening. Just remember…you are doing a good work. Don’t get distracted. God has called you to this purpose and will protect your efforts! Enjoy fireflies and slow warm summer nights while teaching your babies how much God loves them and how He has a purpose for them as well!
