YOU WOULD NOT HAVE ALL THE TIME WITH YOUR CHILD

There was a day I came back from a trip and met a beautiful gist. Irewamiri was having a conversation about the boarding house with a guest while the girls were also there. They discussed it generally- its advantages and the challenges. 

As they shared, my daughter told Irewamiri, “Mummy, how long will I stay with you, that you are thinking of sending me to a boarding house?” They had a great laugh about it. 

As much as every parent will make decisions about their seeds, one of the things that must never be forgotten is this, “They will not be with you forever”. 

There is a season they will be with you fully, and there is a season when they have to leave home- it begins with educational pursuits most times. If you will be confident and at peace wherever they are, you must invest in the foundational work of shaping.

Proverbs 29:17 NLT

Discipline your children, and they will give you peace of mind and will make your heart glad.

There is a window of investment that you must not take for granted. There is a window of shaping that you must not take for granted. Do not push them away because you are busy. You may not have them by the time you want to draw them close. 

Before phones became a thing, my mum went to look for my sister at the university. She checked her hostel, and she was not there. They asked her to check the library. She did. When she described her, someone recognized her and knew her reading spot. Her steps were traceable. Once some children are out of the home, it is their opportunity to experiment. Some experimented with danger, drugs, and other vices. 

Proverbs 29:15 MSG

Wise discipline imparts wisdom; spoiled adolescents embarrass their parents.

If you realize that your seed has not been shaped and has formed principles that are critical for life’s decisions, do not be in a hurry to send them abroad. Keep them close for training and shaping. Monitor their progress with love. Be there for them. Invest the time so you do not regret it when the gaps begin to show. 

Even when we are tempted to derail, the handles help to navigate the season. I was drawn to drinks, girls and wild living in my first season away from home, but somewhere within me, I could not cross the lines. There was always a pull that kept me in check. It was the pull of instructions.  

What are you doing with the time you have with your child right now? Are you building them or are you blowing your window of opportunity away? 

Proverbs 19:18 MSG

Discipline your children while you still have the chance; indulging them destroys them.

Proverbs 19:18 TPT

Don’t be afraid to discipline your children while they’re still young enough to learn. Don’t indulge your children or be swayed by their protests.

Do not blow your chance! 

© temilOluwa Ola, Eruwa