loveyourwives,just as Christ loved thechurch.Husbands,loveyourwives,justasChristlovedthechurch.Husbands,loveyourwivesjustasChrist
I received this email from my daughter-in-law the other day and wanted to share it with you. The characters are Dree, my daughter-in-law; Chris, my son; and Noelle, my granddaughter.
Dree wrote:
I wanted to convey a funny Noelle story.
I was leaving Chris a message and she heard me say that he was my best friend. After I was off the phone, she said very firmly, "Daddy can't be your best friend."
Chuckling to myself I replied, "Silly, of course he can. Daddy is my best friend."
Noelle, still with great authority in her voice said, "Does the Bible say he can be your best friend?"
Honestly, I was a little stumped. My biblical knowledge was being challenged by my 4 year old. I had never considered the biblical validity of my husband being my best friend. So I did what every good parent should do and just started talking like I knew what I was talking about.
Eventually I came up with the biblical truth that directs husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church and that Jesus says that the church are called his friends therefore proving that Chris and I could be best friends within biblical constraints...
She still did not relent and is sure I am wrong about Daddy being my best friend...
Two things I learned from this. First, I guess we've taught her that the Bible is our standard for all things. If the Bible says it, we can do it. Second, I guess I've taught her how to argue... After the conversation was over I realized the argument I had just entertained from my darling 4 year old. Sometimes I forget that I'm in charge I guess!
I received this email from my daughter-in-law the other day and wanted to share it with you. The characters are Dree, my daughter-in-law; Chris, my son; and Noelle, my granddaughter.
Dree wrote:
I wanted to convey a funny Noelle story.
I was leaving Chris a message and she heard me say that he was my best friend. After I was off the phone, she said very firmly, "Daddy can't be your best friend."
Chuckling to myself I replied, "Silly, of course he can. Daddy is my best friend."
Noelle, still with great authority in her voice said, "Does the Bible say he can be your best friend?"
Honestly, I was a little stumped. My biblical knowledge was being challenged by my 4 year old. I had never considered the biblical validity of my husband being my best friend. So I did what every good parent should do and just started talking like I knew what I was talking about.
Eventually I came up with the biblical truth that directs husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church and that Jesus says that the church are called his friends therefore proving that Chris and I could be best friends within biblical constraints...
She still did not relent and is sure I am wrong about Daddy being my best friend...
Two things I learned from this. First, I guess we've taught her that the Bible is our standard for all things. If the Bible says it, we can do it. Second, I guess I've taught her how to argue... After the conversation was over I realized the argument I had just entertained from my darling 4 year old. Sometimes I forget that I'm in charge I guess!
Me again (Dianne)
I guess what I wanted to share is this: Chris and Dree have been faithful to teach their children the way of God. Even though we live several hours apart, I have been with them many times through the years for family visits, etc. They have always been faithful to pray with Noelle and Ashton at bedtime. No matter how early the bedtime, and what hilarious funny family stories or games they missed, they gladly and faithfully attended the spiritual needs of their children. How grateful I am for their faithfulness to the Lord and to their children in this respect.
One of my greatest regrets is that I did not always have bedtime prayer with my children. I was not always faithful to this Walk With Him. Many days I was so exhausted from the routine of grocery shopping, putting it away, cooking, cleaning, laundry for bed-wetters every day when there were no pull-ups or pampers, sports and all the uniforms that go with baseball, football, soccer, and basketball, school, conferences, church, church activities, and just life in general, that I collapsed in the evenings and was not faithful to their bedtime prayer time.
The years pass so swiftly--I now have all kinds of time to spend with children in the evenings, but no children to spend it with.
By the grace of God all of our sons love Jesus and are serving Him--God can redeem in the blink of an eye our shortcomings when we are genuinely broken and sorry for our failures. Walking With Him in true consecration and faithfulness may not be the easiest thing we've ever done, but from one who is looking back in a rearview mirror and wishing I had done some things differently, I would like to encourage you. Your labors will not be in vain. And even if your children are teen-agers, I believe it is never too late to start.
P.S. I took some liberties with some pictures that I took this past summer of Noelle. I think they are probably a little dramatic for the story above but I took a little "poetic license."
I had a couple of hats that I was taking pictures of her in--when I took the one off that she liked so much, she instantly became very unhappy, I put the other one back on her and instantly she was a sunbeam again. In her defense, I kept her several days, and that was the only time that she showed an "unhappy face." I guess that's what you call it. LOL
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