My little men

I've been thinking a lot about what it is to raise 2 boys; the kinds of challenges I will face, the kinds of things I need to be thinking of, the kind of world I will live in. I must admit, I always pictured myself braiding hair and buying barbie dolls. The whole 2 boy thing totally threw me for a loop. But I have known in my heart since I first found out I was pregnant, that each child would be a boy. Call it instinct, call it the Holy Spirit preparing my heart, I just knew.

Though I think about the fact that I may never buy pink, that my house may never been filled with ribbons and bows and polka-dot panty-hose, I take comfort in the very special responsibility the Lord has given me in raising 2 men.

I never realized just how different boys were from girls. I guess I knew they liked cars, and making sound affects, but I never realized just HOW different a boy's world is. They communicate in such different ways, they can be really aggressive and angry at times to get their point across- this is all new to me.

All week the Lord has really been speaking to me about raising my boys. I have thought about what I want for them, and I have kind of made a mission statement for my little men.

I want my little men to be considerate and unusually kind to others, able to express themselves and their emotions. I want for them to have confidence in who they are and their abilities. And I want them to have deep and meaningful relationships with Christ, understanding fully who He is and what He has done for them and what He can do through them if they allow Him to.

I recognise that in order for these things to happen, I have to really work on being a strong mother to them, obedient to God's promptings, continueing on even in stages that are not my favorite. I truly believe that boys need extra hugs and kisses, extra nurturing in order for them to be confident in who they are. And so, I have also created a cree for myself to raise these little men.

I want to be a strong mother to my little men. I intend to nurture them and care for them when they need it most, and to stand back and let them have their space when they need it (even if it kills me to do so). To encourage them to express their feelings and emotions, even if they are things I do not want to hear. It is my intent to encourage them in all they do, to motivate them when they need it, and not to push them when they can't go further. I want to see them and appreciate them for who they are, and not who I want them to be. But even if I do not succeed in these things, above all else I promise to teach them about the Lord. To raise them with a profound respect for Him, to speak daily of Him, to answer their burning questions about Him, and to encourage them to walk in the light.

The Lord has given me a profound responsibility in raising men. These men will be my legacy, the thing I will be most remembered for, and the people who will most remember me. They will grow up and be husbands and fathers and grandfathers. And raise generations beyond me. That will be my reward.

So it's okay if I don't get to buy pink kitchens, or baby dolls. I take comfort in the little boy world God has given me.