Inspired Parenting - Laetitia Zeeman

 

I am inviting you to walk with me a few minutes.

After my husband left in 2006, I suddenly became a single mom for ten- and eight-year-old boys.

After the divorce, I could not afford the maintenance on the house we were staying in anymore, so we had to sell the house and moved into a much smaller house.

There were a lot of people helping that day.  Some were hanging curtains, packing out.  Some brought food, lots of food.  I will be forever grateful for the amazing support system God blessed me with.

The first night, after everyone who helped went back to their own homes, my sons were busy unpacking their toys in their rooms when I prayed a silent prayer.  I was resting my forehead on my arms on top of the TV cabinet when I said:

“Lord, how on earth am I going to raise two boys alone?  I need a hug tonight”.

I stepped three steps back and fell on the couch.  The next moment I felt the arms of my eight-year-old, hugging me around my neck from behind.  I was quite surprised and said:

“Wow.  Thank you.  What did I do to deserve such a nice hug?”

He answered with a smile:

“Mommy, I was sitting on my bed when God told me you need a hug”.

The purpose of this devotion is to inspire you as a parent.

The only way to raise children successfully, is to be Christ minded; to constantly engage Him and live from the inside out.

James 3:5-6 in the Passion Translation reads:

“And so, the tongue is a small part of the body, yet it carries great power! Just think of how a small flame can set a huge forest ablaze. And the tongue is a fire! It can be compared to the sum total of wickedness and is the most dangerous part of our human body. It corrupts the entire body and is a hellish flame! It releases a fire that can burn throughout the course of human existence.”

Our words have power!

Proverbs 18:21-23

The Passion Translation

“Your words are so powerful

 that they will kill or give life,

 and the talkative person will reap the consequences.”

Everything you invest into your children are seeds and those seeds you sow is what will grow and show later in life.

And yes, I know, children don’t always show their appreciation and sometimes they might even act as if it is their right.

I want to inspire you to keep on sowing, but good seeds.  May your words always be seeds that bring life.  Always encourage, let love always be your motivation, doing everything as if for the Lord.

Ephesians 5:1-2 TPT

“Be imitators of God in everything you do, for then you will represent your Father as his beloved sons and daughters. And continue to walk surrendered to the extravagant love of Christ, for he surrendered his life as a sacrifice for us. His great love for us was pleasing to God, like an aroma of adoration—a sweet healing fragrance.”

Being an “imitator” of God means we must imitate His “love”. After all, the Bible tells us God is love … And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him. John 14:21 NKJV

When I love Him, I will be like Him.  When I am like Him, I will love like He loves.

Being a single mother was most definitely not easy, but I choose to remember only what brings life.

Always find the humour in EVERY situation.

I remember …

How we would drive in Pretoria, in competition with the sound systems in the taxis, with all windows open, singing along the Tree63 CD “nothing but the blood of Jesus”:

What can wash away our sins?

What can make us whole again?

Nothing but the blood

Nothing but the blood of Jesus

What can wash us pure as snow?

Welcome as the friends of God

Nothing but Your blood

Nothing but Your blood King Jesus”

And all this while the wind was blowing through our hair while we were shaking our heads, singing very loud from the bottom of our hearts.

Something else I remember was:

It was close to month-end.  My sons wanted McDonalds.  I said I didn’t have any money left till the end of the month and they replied:

“But why not just go to the ATM and draw money from the bank?”

As if the ATM will just keep on supplying.  I had to teach them that the ATM is connected to my bank account.  They were amazed.  Ha-ha!

I exposed my sons to the Word.

I witnessed how they received the water baptism and was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Today, both have degrees and are married to Godly wives and I witness the harvest of those seeds I sow because they are living Godly lives, being good men to their wives.

My youngest son is preaching and a staff member for a well-known church in Pretoria.

1 December 2018, I was attending the oath taking of my eldest son.  At the end of the oath taking, the person leading the oath taking said: 

“You stood as students.  Doctors, you may be seated”.

I could not control my emotions any longer.  Tears flooded my eyes.  My life as a single mother flashed before my spiritual eye.  I saw how I read book after book to them, their school years, taking them to school and fetching them, sitting with them helping with homework, taking them to extracurricular activities, raising them. All those years, late night driving, fetching them after concert band performances, all the hours I invested in them and although it was extremely difficult being a single mother, suddenly it was all worth it.  Every single bit of it.

When your children are small, you sow, and you sow, and you sow, and it is only later in life that you actual reap the harvest.

I want to inspire you to sow good seeds into your children.

Never lose hope.

Like David in Psalm 27:14 in the Passion Translation I also want to say:

Here’s what I’ve learned through it all:  Don’t give up; don’t be impatient; be intwined as one with the Lord.  Be brave and courageous, and never lose hope. Yes, keep on waiting – for he will never disappoint you!

May you have a wonderful, blessed day.  May goodness and mercy follow you all the days of your lives.

Blessings

Laetitia Zeeman