Like anything, when we cherish our children as a gift from God, we place God’s value on them. They are not accidents, even if they weren’t planned. They aren’t our idea, even if they were planned. The Lord told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5). Before they were on our heart, they were on God’s. He chose your children. Furthermore, he chose to put them with you - to bless you.

He did it to bless you with the opportunity to know unconditional love, like the kind he has for you.

1. ⁠He did it to bless you with a special type of joy only found in the smile and laughter shared between a parent and their child.⁠

2. He did it to bless you with the privilege of learning to believe in someone, to sacrifice for them, to commit to them, to lay down your life for them – over and over again, even when they don’t deserve it, especially when they don’t deserve it.⁠

3. It’s the blessing of having your heart shaped to look like God’s heart more than ever before. It’s the blessing of representing God to the world, in a fuller way than you ever could on your own.

*Excerpt from Heart-Shaped Parenting, by Drew and Megan Land. Available to preorder now.

1 Romans 8:35 // 2 Genesis 21:5-6 // 3 Romans 5:8