Our family has been in somewhat of a valley. Some of it has been our fault: Committing to too many things, rushing from one activity to another, and trying to “do it all.” However, there have been quite a few unforeseen circumstances that pop up as well. With the unexpectedness, on top of an already crowded schedule, there’s been a lot of stretching, growing, and just general discomfort. Some days, I have felt downright discouraged. While the conditions of our valley have added difficulty, nothing normal has stopped. The children still needed homeschooled, meals needed cooked, grocery shopping didn’t end, and the laundry still piled up. However, yet again, in the midst of life, the Lord used our children to minister to me, just as I had been unknowingly ministering to them. 

For the last six months, we have been trying to sell our home. Every time we get within reach of closing or firming up a contract, something happens and the house has remained… unsold. Because we homeschool, there isn’t much time for private conversations with friends and family. So, if I want to have a conversation, it’s often in front of them. On one particular morning, as we were driving to piano lessons, I phoned a friend, who just happened to be my prayer partner for the last five or so years. As we caught up, I told her something along the lines of “Even though it’s been difficult, the Lord is still providing and showing up," as I rattled off a number of things I had been grateful for that week. 

When our conversation ended, I didn’t think much about it. However, late that evening, we got a request from our realtor for a showing in the morning. I was exhausted, the kids were in bed, my husband was at work, and the house was more than lived in. To say that I had a bad attitude about it would be an understatement. I decided to work for an hour and to finish in the morning.

As soon as I woke, I began frenzy cleaning; the kind of “we have company coming soon, hide the toys and laundry” type of clean. When my daughter, Mia,  awoke not long after me, I said a bit discouraged, “Well, we have a house showing today, so I really need the house to stay clean.” 

Before I could finish my sentence, she gasped with excitement, and exclaimed “Mom, The Lord is providing! How great is that?” 

It quickly put my bad attitude in check, but my point in all of this, whether you homeschool or not, is that our children watch and listen to everything. They see the way we worship, the depth of our faith, the way that we treat others or talk about them, and the way that we follow the Lord through good times and bad. Mia’s reminder to me realigned my heart from one of grumbling and annoyance to one of gratitude, not only for the house showing, but for the way in which God used my daughter’s faith to sharpen mine. As our children become Christians and begin their own walks with the Lord, they will change from daughter to sister-in-Christ and/or from son to brother-in-Christ. We are really creating little disciples, and it’s likely that we will be their first disciples, as they minister back to us. 

I have never felt more grateful for trying to live out Deuteronomy 6:5-7 (HCSB) which says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up.” This little encounter with my daughter is proof that God’s word will not return to Him empty but will accomplish what He pleases and will prosper in what He sends it to do as Isaiah 55:11 tells us. 

As a parent, what we do matters. Our number one goal should be to introduce our children to Jesus on a personal level, to show them how to interact, pray, encourage, and worship God. In doing this, we may just find that our children shift from sons and daughters to brothers and sisters in Christ.