Intentional Parenting: When Your Child Ministers to You

REPOST from friend and blogger Joey Cochran

Intentional Parenting: When Your Child Ministers to You

It’s been a tough month for the Cochrans. We’re in a stage of transition with a lot of unknowns. This last week we took a vacation to Texas to be with family. As we stayed with family there were many behind the door conversations with mommy and daddy: conversations about how we are going to move, will we be able to buy a home, what is daddy going to do for work, and what our budget is going to look like. By the end of the trip daddy was pretty discouraged.

So this morning after the vacation was over, it was time to get back into routine. I took the kids to the gym like usual and I started my workout. I was listening to a David Platt sermon from February that introduced a new series, Threads. I wasn’t paying much attention because I was preoccupied in prayer to God. I asked God, “Why?”, just like Job. I pondered all the reasons. Somewhere in the midst of it all I wondered if God even loved me. If God loves me, why is all this happening?

As I finished my run and my prayer reminiscent of some of David’s most solemn Psalms, I clung to the gospel. All of this stuff that I’ve been clinging to, my home, my stuff – all of it I could give up and might have to, but the gospel isn’t going to give up on me and I’m not going to give up on it either. Moments later I found out how true this is.

I gathered Asher and Chloe from childcare, and we got into the car. I was about to tell Chloe that we weren’t going to be able to go to Chickfila today because we needed to save our money, when she said, “Daddy, let’s go home and eat sandwiches and finish Marry Poppins. Let’s not go to Chickfila.”

That was answered prayer. I thought we were going to have a contest of wills over this decision, rather it became her idea instead of mine.

Then she continued, “Daddy, can I pray for you. I want to praise God right now.”

Okay, now this was getting strange. I’m not sure but I think she’s never initiated prayer in this way. So she prayed for me in her childlike way. It was precious.

Then she said to me, “Daddy, I just want you to know that God thinks you’re precious.”

Utterly dumbfounded. My daughter ministered to me in a distinct and profound way. How she knew what I needed to hear could have only come through the Holy Spirit. I’m still reeling from the experience.

Parents face many challenges in life beyond parenting. Often children do not fully understand what is going on, yet God often uses their child-like faith to ground their parents in truth and the power of the gospel.

**For more great blogposts like this (as well as book reviews, interviews, etc.) check out Joey's blog: 

http://www.jtcochran.com/category/intentional-parenting/