Parenting: An assignment

As I see my children grow, I’m filled with wonder at how the little babies that we held at birth are growing in leaps and bounds. A little voice whispers to me: Enjoy them now. I hope to do just that.

A lady had taken her children out all day. They went to watch a movie and then went to a fun park. Of course, they had loads to eat. The children had so much fun. I asked her how her day went, she smiled and said: “Very tiring.” I finished her statement by saying: “But very fulfilling.” That

is the story of parenting.

It’s a full-time job, it’s quite demanding, it requires all the energy you have but it’s very fulfilling.

The problem however is when we consider all the work involved, all the time involved and all the energy required of us, we are tempted to see parenting as a chore, something we would rather do without.

The sad thing is that it’s easy for children to get these vibes. I’m sure no mother wants her children thinking they are a bother or they are too much trouble. Because children are the heritage from the Lord and the gift of the womb is His reward, according to the Bible.

I’ve chosen to realise that motherhood, despite all the twists and turns, is a gift from God. Little things make me realise the greatness of the assignment God has given me as a mother. A smile of appreciation when I help my child out with something, a hug when they are happy with me, a

flower plucked from outside for me when they go on a walk, the anger in their eyes when they are upset and the faces staring right back at me that are replicas of my husband, and I’m reminded that I’ve been given a special gift from God and should treat my gifts well.

Our children are ours to cherish and love, yet they are ours to prune and weed out excesses. Our task is simple to raise wholesome people that will bring glory to God and make tremendous impact in the society they live in. So, what am I supposed to do with these gifts?

The enormity of the assignment determines the weight of the preparation. It is important to go back to our Creator who gave us these gifts in the first place and ask Him for direction on how to go about raising them. God speaks and He will let us know what to do. And then we get to work, praying, training, instilling values, creating the right environment for growth, bonding with children, going through the process of childhood again so that you can reconnect with these children God has given us.

Our desire to have them is deeper than whether we wanted a boy or a girl. It really is about God. There was something that had to be done on planet earth and God needed someone to do it, so, He sent you a child and put him or her under your tutelage, confident that you will equip him/her with all the tools and resources required to fulfil that assignment.

So, you see, it’s deeper than just being a lawyer, doctor or fashion designer. It is about making sure that your child contributes his or her quota to society, because without it, there will be a void and things won’t go well.

It’s no wonder though the world is in a state of dysfunction. Somewhere along the line, parents got side-tracked, mothers got carried away, the assignment of parenting was forgotten and as a result unprepared and undisciplined people were released into the world. Of course, that led to more chaos. So, see parenting as what it really is; an assignment to change the world, one child at a time.

Email: sola_agudah@yahoo.com

Blog: mummysheart.org

By: OLUSOLA OGUCHE-AGUDA