New beginnings

Yesterday, July 15, Jaron chose to be baptized as a profession of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 

We couldn't be more... well, not sure what the right word would be! Proud? Happy? Blessed? Thankful? Awed? There were tears in my eyes as I saw his joy and confidence. Tears of amazement. A lot of excitement. And just a tiny spot in my heart was feeling a bit of a quiver of apprehension. After all, we've never done this before. We've never had the opportunity to disciple a child, now a brother in the Lord. It's a great responsibility and I feel woefully unprepared! How do we lead this little boy, fast growing into a young man, so full of life and hope, visions and dreams? His exuberance, his whole-heartedness in everything he puts his mind to, his total love of people... He is such a blessing!

And it's been a very reassuring journey for me, as well, watching God work. Without constraint, without us pushing, begging, pleading, or even asking, Jaron freely chose to follow Jesus. I credit much of this to the freedom and joy Jere and I have been discovering in the last year or two on our own spiritual journey. Now God has more room to work, and He is proving faithful over and over and over again. We are also slowly learning to change our parenting techniques, to parent with an open hand and allow Jaron freedom to fly, freedom to make his own choices, and the freedom to govern himself. Within reasonable limits for an 11 year old, of course! I'm finding it a little hard to transition from raising a little boy where I oversaw every detail of his life to a young man who has his own choices in life. To find the balance between instruction, command, and allowing him choices... and the consequences, good or bad, of those choices.

One of the biggest things I've been learning lately is in not dictating attitudes. God does not dictate to me what attitude I'm to have, and it's come to the point where I cannot dictate to my son his attitudes either. That's a hard thing when I feel he is being disrespectful and I just want to make him respect me! What a picture of a God Who desires our love... and yet allows us to choose to love, or not. Forcing compliance on the outside has only been netting us resentful respect. However, quietly pointing out the problem "Son, you are having a bad attitude." and then walking away and allowing him to grapple with right and wrong in his own heart has to this point ALWAYS provoked a heart change and a heartfelt apology with a change of attitude and a child who is anxious to love and honor us. Not to say we don't have our clashes and issues, but God is proving faithful to do the work behind the scenes.

Please pray for us as we begin a new chapter in our lives. A fresh, exciting, beautiful chapter... that also has it's challenges ahead. Pray especially that Jaron would grow into a strong and tender man of God, who loves Jesus with his whole heart! And that we as his parents will learn how to nurture and guide through the coming years.