Shepherding Your Childs Heart

The Anderson Family this summer. The "docent" is seated on the right!

My Father-in-law used to like to be called a docent.  A docent is a word I didn’t know the definition to nor had I ever heard.  He explained to me it was another term for a “tour guide.”

After my father-in-law retired, he gathered as many of his friends that would fit in his SUV and take day trips to areas along the South Carolina coast and share his historical knowledge.  He is a brilliant man, and his love of history is made perfect on historical sites with those who are curious to know the past.

I was thinking about our role in our children’s life.  We too, are docents with our children.  Guiding them to those things that will grow their walks with Christ. Guiding them away from things that may bring them harm.

As the old saying goes, "you can take a mule to water but you can’t make him drink."  We can guide our children all we want. When they are younger we can pick them up and move them where they will be safe.  As they age they will make their own choices.

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Tedd Tripp wrote one of Greg and my favorite parenting books, Shepherding Your Child’s heart.  Mr. Tripp writes how important it is to not to merely try and control our children. Rather we are to lead their hearts into a personal relationship with Christ.

In our Ladies Bible study we are looking at the Names of Jesus.  This week we have been looking at Jesus calling Himself, I AM.  We specifically looked at the scripture in John 10:11, where Jesus said, “I AM the Good Shepherd.”

I began to parallel the words docent and shepherd.  I realized a docent is tour guide while a shepherd literally leads with care.  So I asked myself, which (if either) am I doing as a Mom?  Am I guiding my children just for a sight seeing experience? Am I taking a pointer and simply showing them highlights of a tour? Am I taking them to the beach, or the park, or even a historical landmark, simply to say we have been on a tour?

Or am I shepherding them?  Loving them, caring for them.

This past week, Greg and I experienced that difficult moment in parenting.   The experience where the child literally looks like the thirsting horse by the river, but won’t take a drink.  As previously mentioned, when they are younger we can “man handle” them down to the bank and ladle the water to their lips.  When the children are the ages ours are, you look at them in disbelief that they could possibly be so obstinate.

Yet in this moment, Greg and I looked at each other after the child had left the room.  Our options included: giving up, correction, or shepherding. The tempting option was to give up. However, His Spirit encouraged us to keep shepherding, to keep taking them down to the water’s edge.

My challenge is for you to consider your role in your childs life.  Are you merely a docent or are you reflecting our Savior as The Good Shepherd?  Ladies, we can’t give up now.  The water is cool and refreshing.  In fact Christ said, “I AM the living water!”  Let’s shepherd our children making this Water available as The Good Shepherd does to us!

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