Getting Them Ready

I heard an old interview with Mickey Mantle yesterday. He was talking about the fact that even before he was born, his dad was planning on him being a baseball player. He was named after a player. Every day his dad and his grandfather would pitch to him so that he could practice hitting both right and left handed. It reminded me of the story of Hannah in the Bible. Weird, I know.

Hannah desperately wanted a baby boy. She prayed fervently for a son and promised that she would give him to serve the Lord all of his life. Samuel lived with her until he was weaned. In that time, I am sure that she did all that she could do to prepare him for the life he was to lead. When she could no longer teach him, he was brought to the temple to learn from Eli, the priest. She prayed for him before he was born, and I am sure she continued to pray after he left her care.

These stories reminded me yet again of my duty as a parent to prepare my children for their future. Yes, I want them to have a job they enjoy, a spouse to love and children of their own, but the most important thing is that they love the Lord and glorify Him in all they do. I can't make them love God. I know that. What I can do is teach them who God is and what He has done for us. I can model a life that seeks to put Him first, always. I can share my struggles, doubts, and questions. I can point out the many blessings that we have received from the Lord. There is much that I can do as a parent to prepare my children for true success in their future and there isn't much time to do it. I am so glad they are home with me so that we can use each moment. I hope that when they are adults, they will look back and see that even before they were born, God was getting them ready for an eternity with Him, and they will remember a mother who prayed daily that God would grow them closer to Him.