Enjoying Our Children

One of the grace-filled moments of motherhood is being with our children and enjoying them as the Lord would have us do. I believe that He gave us these precious jewels for us to know and experience a deeper kind of love and give us the wonderful privilege to rear them and be a significant part of their lives.

I believe they were given not only for us to learn how to give of ourselves, but that the Lord wants to make our days joy-filled.

The time to enjoy our children – cuddling, playing and having fun with them – is truly short. Before we know it, they are all grown-ups and are raring to pursue their dreams. Then we find ourselves alone with our husbands in an empty nest.

It is a good thing to always remember to spend precious, precious time with our children. How we would be missing those dimpled, chubby hands, those innocent eyes that light up when excited, those peals of carefree laughter ringing out around the house that bring smile to our lips – when they have reached adolescence and are engrossed in their own pursuits! Indeed, our children grow so fast, and these moments with them must be sought out, savored, and cherished.

We can enjoy our children by:

• Spending sweet moments together with lots of cuddling, touching, tickling

Little children naturally respond to a mother’s tender touch. They warm up to our loving embrace and gentle caresses. They love to snuggle and feel that they are loved and cherished. They want to feel assured and accepted, despite their faults.

And we sure love to “devour” them – luscious cheeks, chubby arms, and all – squeezing and tickling them until they squeal in pure delight!

•  Playing, romping, and roaring in laughter all the while

It goes without saying that children love to play. They love to romp around, making a lot of noise with their joyful shrieks. And they enjoy it more when we join them in their fun.

My kids and I enjoy exchanging jokes, funny stories, and do mimicking antics that send us roaring in laughter. We also sing together with so much gusto. We sing three-year-old Tim’s alphabet and nursery songs that we learned from YouTube, songs which he and his pre-teens sister Hannah love singing loudly and happily.

• Cooking and eating together

No, this is not the regular gathering-around-the-dining-table to eat as a family, but the kind of eating together casually and gaily with a lot of humour and fun during snack time.

My kids and I love to cook together our merienda (snacks, or for the English – afternoon tea?). They try to help but often messing up the working table and ingredients, but that’s part of the fun! My little boy can grease the muffin pan in a breeze. When he helps, he really works seriously like he feels he’s doing something very important :-).

Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice. (Phil. 4: 4)

The Lord wants us to rejoice in Him for all the good things that He bestows on us. It is our expression of gratitude. And while we savor the goodness that He brings, we feel His very presence, a constant companion whom we gladly share every moment of this precious life He has gifted us with.

That is why, everyday, I thank Him with all that is in me – for this gift of time, of these precious moments, I spend with my babes.

[To know the deeper meaning of these words, maybe you would take a little time to read this article I’ve written in February.]

We are often counseled to slow down to smell the roses. Maybe we’ll remember to slow down and enjoy our kids.

Linking up with Time-warp Wife, Domestically Divine, Raising Homemakers, Women Living Well, We Are that Family, Proverbs14verse1

Journey with Jesus,