My Family is My Heart

This is something really close to my heart so #1-this post might get really personal, #2 –this post might be long.

 

My family is very special to me.  I always wanted a family of my own since I was a little girl. A home with love and laughter and pitter patter feet and home cooked meals. After 10 years of marriage and 2 kids, I have grown very fond of what my husband and I have worked hard for.

 

As our oldest gets older and his younger brother follows in his footsteps, we have done our work as parents and laid the foundation of how and what God wants our kids to be and we will continue to do so.

 

As time goes on we will have to let go of the rope a little bit and let them go into the world on their own. The reality is that as much as I want to, I can’t control every aspect of their lives. They have to make their own mistakes. Because of the nature of my husband’s job and calling, this will potentially all be done in the midst of the church. I know that personally thoughts and words may be said towards us as parents but my prayer is that no one goes to our kids to smear our names or their names.  That will only make them eventually possibly resent the church.

 

I had a heart to heart with my oldest last night- I’ll spare you the details for now but I basically told him that as long as he is being good and doing what God wants Him to do to not listen to what anyone says about him because everyone makes mistakes.

 

Another thing I have seen happen and pray doesn’t happen to us is that so many sensitive issues are discussed in front of pastor’s children-not only should they not hear it due to confidentiality but in certain subject matters, it is not okay for kids to hear. They are only kids for a little while, please help me protect their minds and  hearts  and discuss certain issues on a meeting basis-not while we are standing  in  the foyer telling everyone goodbye. Sometimes this may include general but complaints.

I'm not ignorant in my thinking that I can shield my kids from everything because I know things come up. We've had recent real chats as a family about homosexual marriage, police shootings and terrorist attacks all on a 8 year old level, as these things come up we just talk it out. I wish my parents would have done that with me.

 

Sometimes I want to cover my son's ears and say "lalalaalala you didn't hear that" ...but I can't so in some conversations I may excuse myself. We don't mind waiting for my husband while you talk things out, we are professional tic tac toe players and I spy champions , I may even have a few crayons and snack in my purse for them because we don't ever know how long a meeting may take and that is okay.

 

My oldest is a patient, kind, loving, tender hearted child who love and are proud of their dad & so am I. Our youngest will learn the same. 

 

We will keep protecting our sweet little family. <3

We are not perfect and neither are our kids. Please don’t paint us in that light because we will let you down.