In my devotion today on Crosswalk and Proverbs 31 Ministries, I talked about a situation where I felt frustrated and completely helpless as a mom. So I asked for God’s help and He came through with a powerful promise to help my son become a can-do kid, and help me become a can-do mom!
Andrew moved beyond who he was to who he could become with God’s help. He learned (and is still learning) that he can do all things through Christ who gives him strength, (Phil. 4:13). It’s a spiritual lesson that’s become part of his spiritual legacy. A lesson that’s lasted for years. He was four when it happened and he just turned eleven yesterday!
Monday we talked here about our calling to teach God’s truths to our kids in everyday moments. All throughout January, I’ll be sharing on my blog about becoming a D6 family based on God’s instructions in Deuteronomy 6:5-9. I’ll also be partnering with the D6 conference/ministry each weekday to give away resources to encourage you and your kids along the way.
My story in today’s devotion a D6 moment when I saw what it meant to live out the principles in Deuteronomy 6 – to pass on God’s promises as we go along. God showed me real life application of His Word in the middle of a motherhood meltdown.
And the lesson lingered. It’s been applicable in the days that followed. A year or so afterwards, we were getting ready to leave for school and Joshua offered to help Andrew feed the dogs. Andrew smiled and said, “No thanks. I don’t need help. I’m a can-do kid!”
Just yesterday Andrew was struggling with anxiety. I shared how I have worries, too, and described how I write them down and give them to God. We talked about living in today and not tomorrow until it gets here. Then I read him the devotion and reminded him that he’s a can-do kid who can trust God with His concerns. Then we prayed Philippians 4:13, claiming once again that he can do all things through Christ who gives Him strength. He smiled so big and thanked me for reminding him.
My prayer today is that God will show us all D6 moments with our children so we can help them become can-do kids in Christ!
I also wanted to share promises God used with Gideon in Judges 6 to help him become a can-do kid:
- I am with you. v.12 When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”
- Focus on the strength you have. v.14 The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
- You can do it! Remember, I am with you. v.16 The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”
I didn’t realize it then, but as I look back I see practical ways I applied this process and these promises with Andrew that day in the kitchen:
- I drew his attention away from something he couldn’t do and focused it toward something he could do.
- I showed him how to do it, and then I did it with him.
- Once he gained his confidence, I stepped back and watched as he completed his assignment with success.
- We celebrated the reality of his new name and talked about how good it felt to do new things.
God is so good! I love that these steps we can take with our children in various situations as we become a Can-Do Moms who are raising Can-Do Kids!
Copyright 2009. Renee Swope – All rights reserved.
We’re giving away two D6-mom resources today, that includeone copy of “Revolutionary Parenting” and one copy of my “Mining for Gold in the Heart of Your Child“ CD and chart to be selected from your comments today. Be sure to include your email in your comment so we can contact you if you win the give-away. Here are some things I’d love to know:
Has there been a time when you were able to share a promise or spiritual truth with your child in an everyday life moment? What hinders you or helps you look for those teachable moments? Are there other ways you are passing on your faith to your child? I’d love to hear your thoughts, stories and/or questions.
Every Friday, we’ll be giving away two tickets to the D6 Conference. So be sure to come back for more encouragement and resources from D6 and Proverbs 31 Ministries!
Be sure to include your email so we can contact you if you win the give-away.
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Hi Renee,
As you know I have been utilizing your “Mining for Gold” principles for some time now. I think that my biggest struggle is just seeing the gold. My son is sooooo very strong-willed and too often I get sucked down into the muck and mud of his poor choices and bad behaviors and I forget to look for the good that creeps in from time to time. I am praying about this a lot and trying to do better. Please continue to pray for us!
I was chatting to my kids as we drove about how God provides for us. They talked about the “things” that God was providing for our family. As we turned the corner to go through a drive through for lunch we saw a homeless couple standing at the side of the road. As children do they asked what the sign said that they were holding, why they didn’t have a home, why the were hungry. Difficult questions to answer and yet my seven year old didn’t miss a beat as he uggested we buy them lunch and take it to them.
I smiled as I thought about how the conversation before not only allowed for a “Jesus moment “but gave my children an opportunity to “live” as Jesus did.
We bought lunch took it to the family and as we drove away, my daughter asked me if Jesus was smiling…a tear slid down my cheek as I turned and answered YES!
In a moment where I thought I was teaching my children they reminded me that in everything we do it is for His pleasure!
It was an experience I will never forget.
Morning! I get the P31 devotions each day and I was glued to yours this morning and for the first time I decided to venture to one of the links and it was your blog. Oh, how I was blessed!! I wanted to find out what D6 was all about and it took me to yesterdays writing and the You Tube clip and I was blessed again. I have 3 children and the majority of the time they are can-do kids but they have moments and I thank you for sharing your story. I will definetly be visitng your blog again and I thank Jesus for using you to reach so many moms.
Wow!! this truly is God-sent!! I’ve been searching,waiting, and praying for a ministry such as this. A guide/support group to help me see practical ways in which to instill in my 3 children Godly values that will equip them to confront all the issues and pressures that they will face in adulthood. I realize the importance of scripture memory and the value of just praying for the future of our children. so thank you for D6!!!
I keep verses on the mirror so we can read them while brushing our teeth. One of the many verses I like is Heb 13:5. I will never leave you or forsake. That is a promise that we know God will be with us whenever or whatever we do.
Thank you for your devotions, they really speak to my heart.
Hello Renee
I am a mother of a 7 year old with a mild case Cerebral Palsy and a very busy 3 year old. Our roles are reversed. Ellie (7) has a hard time keeping up with her little brother and get’s the “I can’t”. Right now Ellie has a cast on her left foot to help with her CP and having a hard time with snow pants (lovely MN winter). Today was better than the last few, but with your story about Andrew helps us to always trust in God and his word.
Thank you for sharing your Andrew and for giving me inspiration to keep God in EVERYTHING we do.
Lori
Hi Renee!
Thanks so much for your post today and for the reminder that we, as parents, have the primary responsibility for instilling God’s Word in the hearts of our children while they are young. I have always tried to use the everyday situations we encounter to remind my children of God’s Word and what it says about particular situations – sometimes, because of the busy-ness of life, I get a little lax in pointing out how God’s Word applies to everything we encounter. So, I appreciate the reminder!
You asked for us to recount a time when we were able to share a promise or spiritual truth with our child in an everyday life moment. My son, who is now 13, has many characteristics that are on the autism spectrum (Asperger’s) but has not been “officially” diagnosed with Asperger’s because he has other characteristics that are not typical of children with autism. He attends a private, Christian school, and struggles with certain aspects of school-work and socializing. He often feels like he doesn’t “fit in.” On several different occasions, when he has felt particularly frustrated and discouraged about not “fitting in” at school, I have been able to remind him of Psalm 139 – that he is fearfully and wonderfully made and that God made him just the way he is on purpose. God put him together that way for a purpose (Jeremiah 29:11) and I remind him that God has special plans for him using the exact gifts and talents that he has. What a wonderful and gracious God we have that He would put these promises and reminders in His Word just for us to know that nothing is by accident and that He has a perfect plan for everything and everyone!
I really appreciate your D6 focus right now and look forward to more lessons and ideas on how to implement them!
Blessings on your day! Teri
Thank you! I love your story of helping your son!!
Good Morning,
I continue to instill my son (who is now 5) the same truths that my mother instilled in me. Ever since he learned how to talk and began to form the words "I can't" in his mouth – I quickly corrected him.
At first I would tell him that in our house "I can't" is a naughty word and instead we say "Mommy, I need help."
As he grew older he began to understand that "I can't" really wasn't a bad word & asked me to explain it. So I told him (and continue to this day) that really there is no such thing as "I can't"… Instead it's "I can, if I try". It's to the point now where he will correct himself whenever he begins to say the words "I can't". He even corrects me when I mistakenly say those words. lol… It's great to watch him take on most challenges that are set before him & usually when he gets stumped – he knows how to now ask for help instead of giving up.
Renee I loved this devotion today. I have two boys who are completely different. Our Gideon, age 6, is very outgoing while our Ken, is very laid back and kind of in his big brother’s shadow. We are trying to encourage Ken on the things that he does well and he loves the praise. There are teachable moments in everything, even when us parents blow it. I want to thank you all at P31 for your encouragement to us Moms.
Praise the Lord for leading me to your site today! I have four children (age 5 and under) and am always looking for sound Christian parenting advice and suggestions.
I think the thing that hinders me most in constantly sharing the truth of God’s Word with my children is my own lack of Scripture memorization. I am relatively new to in-depth Bible study and am still trying to hide God’s promises in my own heart and mind. This year as I read Scripture, I am highlighting God’s promises in yellow, and His attributes/character in orange, so I can more easily reference and absorb them any time I open up my Bible. I pray that it will help me impart them on my children more often! But I, myself, must know my Scripture first, in order to be able to past the Truth on to my children in everyday situations.
So most of the time I use songs or hymns, which often times contain (or are based on) direct Scripture. I love music and songs stick with me so easily. This morning my 5 year old said she wanted to stay home with us today instead of going to Kindergarten, so as we waited for the bus, I showered her with songs, such as This is the Day (that the Lord has made). It put a smile on her face and helped her put on the right attitude as she headed off for a day at public school.
I look forward to visiting your site often. Thanks for what you do!
Thank you so much for sharing your hearts and your stories. I love reading them and I know you are all encouraging one another, too! I am praying for each mom, grandmother, and friend who stops by today. Share what is on your heart and we will try to answer lots of your great questions and talk about things you bring up as we go along. If we don’t cover it all in Jan, we’ll keep talking in the months that follow.
Be sure you leave your email in your comment, too, so we can contact you if you win a give-away.
Remember, YOU are a can-do mom/kid too!
Renee
Renee! You just described MY 4-year old. He has two older siblings that are quite independent and instead of emulating them, he is discouraged by their success. Thank you for sharing and offering some tips for supporting our children.
Jude 2,
Emily
This has turned on so many different lightbulbs in my head. I shared with my bible study group last Sunday night that one of my goals is to grasp the “teaching” moments and not be frustrated when my kids disrupt what I am involved in at the time. I feel that my boys, in their own way, are hungry for God’s will. My 7yo said that his #1 wish for Christmas was to “hear” God, then #2 a PS2! That kinda frightened me bc I realized that he is starting to grasp things of the heart and I really don’t want to mess up. This “can do” attitude is going to be a great thing for ME along with my 2 boys. I so look forward to what God lays on your heart to share with us.
Wow! When I read your devotion today it was an answer to my prayers. For the last two mornings my eleven year old son has struggled with getting ready for school. He has some eczema on his face and it has flared up for the last couple of mornings. Upon noticing how he looks he then becomes extrememly frustrated and then the tears begin. Which in turn makes it a lot worse. As I prayed for my son asking Jesus to provide him with strength and peace I also encouraged him to go in his room to pray and just relax. Getting himself together in order to hop on the bus in time. Each day he made it. And so yesterday after school I gave him a card letting him know just how proud I am of him for finding strength and getting himself together. Wishing him that tomorrow would bring a better morning. I am happy to report that indeed today was a better morning for him and in turn for me. It is so hard for us parents to see our children struggle. Even though we know that struggles are an important part of our lives as Christians. Thank you for perfect timing with your blogs. I am excited to learn more about D6 and to read through Deuteronomy 6:5-9
Good morning, Renee – I have come across this information at the right time. My 8th grade son is having the hardest time with his very “mean” teacher and strongly feels that the only way to take care of the situation is to get out of her class. This has been my frustration for almost 2 months now. I prayed for God to show me the ways to deal with this better as a Mom and to give me the tools to help my child. I have not arrived by chance, but by divine intervention. Praise God!
I was so thankful for the P31 devotional today. My 5 year old tends to use that lovely phrase often, and of course his younger brother has picked up on it too. I will be looking for things to encourange them in so they can learn to think of themselves as Can-Do Kids!
One of my daily desires is to teach my kids God lessons in everyday situations. Deuteronomy 6 is one of my favorite passages as a mom! Because of the hectic pace of life I often don’t take time for those special teaching moments. Yesterday my son was on a talking tangent about Star Wars. I took that moment to tell him that what goes into our minds is what we become. The most important thing we can put into our minds is God’s word so we can become more like Jesus.
Angie
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My nine year old daughter spent the last few months on the playground with a girl being mean. We talked about it often and prayed for her. We would pray on the way to school everyday and the bible verse we memorized was Exodus 14:14, Be still and quiet , I will fight for you. A few months later after a hard day on the playground the little girl called to say she was sorry. You should have seen the look in my daughters eyes. That led us onto another discussion concerning God’s timetable and his plans for us. One door opened another for discussions and our praying ritual on the way to school has continued and has been such a blessing.
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This is just what I needed today after my five year old complained about everything and was totally unhappy for the third day in a row. I said a little prayer and said that I didn’t know what I needed to do to help her have better days and I was struggling thinking that I needed to make changes in me. Thank you for always being such an encouragement.
Thank you for your story,
As a mom of 5 I have been in this situation with my daughter. She has a reading disability and needed a lot of encouragement to achieve the simple tasks her siblings were doing all around her. She was also doing gymnastics and was afraid of the vault. An understandable fear since her coach wanted her to run at it with all her might and throw her body over it without any caution. This seemed like an impossible task and we feared her unable to continue with the sport. We prayed together before every practice and God lead me to relate her situation to Goliath and the Giant (vault). Using the scripture I a can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me, my daughters confidence was lifted and she conquered her fear. As God often does, he didn’t just get her over the vault but went on to help her win first place at her first meet in the vault competition. My daughter is about 10 years older now and her favorite verse is still, I can do all things through Christ……. She has used it to overcome any challenges in her life including her reading disability. She now is an avid reader and a full time college student while still in her senior year of high school. Praise God for the struggles our small children go through and the opportunities God gives us to train them in His ways. They make such a difference in their future lives and who they will be as adults living for Christ.