"Letter to my kids"

October 27, 2011 Thursday evening

Lately, I have been having so many thoughts about family, community, the future, etc.  The Lord has been giving me new determination unlike I have ever had before.  It is really hard to sit here and put it all in words, but I am going to attempt it anyhow knowing that my children will one day read these words.

Dear Chloe, Maximus, Titus, and Justus,

As I sit here and look at this screen, I see your pictures all around me.  I see the innocence in your eyes and I can’t help but wonder, “Lord, what will these children accomplish in their lifetime?”  The innocence, I see, is surround by determination, love, discipline, and strength.  What will you see in your life?  Will you see thousands come to now the Lord as their Savior like the disciples? Or will you see thousands never repent and turn to the Lord like Jeremiah?  Will you see people taking a stand for righteousness or will you see them cower away?  Deep, deep down in my heart, I know that your life will be hard.  Your life will be hard not by the way the world defines a hard life.  But it will be hard because you will have to take a stand for righteousness and you will be persecuted for that.  I don’t know the times to come, but I do know that the days are quickly changing.  Our freedoms are being challenged on a daily basis and our beliefs are being compromised by those surrounding us.  Tolerance is becoming the god of our nation. So because of these days, your time will be different than how we live now.  I want you to know that the Lord has appointed you for such a time as this.  It was no accident that we gave you the name you have.  Many people have joked with us that we were naming a Roman army.  But your name is not a coincidence.  It was given to you by the Lord.  Never forget what your name means.

Boys--I always thought I would have a lot of girls.  When Chloe was born, I was not surprised.  She is everything I ever thought a girl should be.  Then when you boys started coming, I was shocked.  I didn’t understand why the Lord kept giving us boys when I thought we should have had girls.  But that’s why the Lord’s sovereign and not me.  He knew that we (your dad and I) were to raise godly men.  The Lord very clearly spoke to me one day and said, “I need strong men to rise up to lead my people back to my heart. Your boys are to be raised to be strong men who love me.”  The Lord gave you three boys to us because He knows your earthly father is a man of strength who loves Jesus more than anyone I know.  Your earthly father is a man who seeks the Lord and walks in obedience.  The Lord wanted you to be trained by that kind of earthly father.  It’s no accident you were placed in our family.  You are already being trained to love Jesus; you have been since you were conceived.    The responsibility the Lord has placed on us is heavy.  But we don’t, nor will we ever take it lightly.  We take this privilege very serious because we see a glimpse of what your future holds.  Your fight for righteousness and holiness will be hard; you will be put to the test for it many times throughout your life but stand strong.  As a mom, it is so hard to write these things.  My natural self is tormented over the thought that this life will be hard for you.  No mother wants to ever face that reality.   Yet, if I don’t acknowledge the possibility of it, then how can I possibly prepare you for the inevitable?  Paul writes that we all will be put to the test, it’s not a possibility but it is fact.  We will be challenged for our beliefs.  Sin challenges truth, the world challenges truth.  But truth reveals sin.  We as a Kingdom must reveal sin that challenges the truth.  There is no compromise, not now or forever. Never compromise.  Carry the anointing the Lord has placed on you with humility and love.   In your time, remember that the Lord will never leave you nor forsake you.  Fight for His good name always, even to death.

Chloe—You are nothing short of an absolute delight.  Usually when you think of a little girl, someone would picture a mild, soft-spoken, shy kind of girl.  Every now and then you will exhibit some of those qualities but all in all there is a fire in your eyes.  One of the things that we have to work on quite often is your strong will.  Although your strong will must still come under submission to the authority the Lord has placed in your life, it will be one of your greatest attributes in the days you will live.  You are a fighter.  You love truth and it guards your heart.  I love your larger than life personality and dramatics (which you totally get from you dad, no matter what he says).  You possess a great sense of authority even at the age of 4 and you already are learning how to walk in that authority.  The times will not be easy for you, but as I told the boys it’s no coincidence the days in which you live and the family that you’ve been placed in to.  Surrounded by boys teaches you toughness and how to be a fighter, but you also carry the grace and sensitivity in knowing how to show love to a hurting world.  You have what they (the world) need.  Be strong in your fight for righteousness, but love for the sake of righteousness.  You too, will face persecution, but know that we live for the bigger picture and not the immediate life.  Remember that you carry a heavy mantle as well.  But this mantle is only given to those who can be trusted to carry it.  Guard your heart all your days and live a life worthy of the calling to which you were called.    Never compromise.  Be strong and fight for His good name always, even to death.

I want this letter to bring comfort and hope to you as you read this.  We are blessed to be part of this Kingdom.  I want this to be something that you look at and know that we are doing everything we can, even at your young age to prepare you for what lies ahead. 

My sweet, sweet children, the Lord is good and His mercy endures forever.  I look at your life from this side of things not knowing what the future holds.  I look at your life not knowing a lot of answers to all my questions.  I see the joy in your eyes as you live to the fullest.  And all I know is that we believe in an everlasting Father, One who is just in all His ways and that we will live for Him all our days.  He will receive the honor and glory that He is due.  And I know that the generations that are to come from this fruit will carry forth the Kingdom for our King.

I love you more than you will ever know.  You are the greatest blessings that we could have ever been given and we are so honored to be called your parents.

  

I love you!

Mom