This is How God Works

I had one of those moments of utter clarity and happiness this week.

My daughters were with me, and I made them a nice dinner of Salisbury Steaks and potatoes with a Caprese salad on the side. Most of the time, K and I have started eating in the den, relaxed, just watching TV. Not sure why, we just do. When M comes over, we actually eat in the dining room and talk.

That night at the dinner table, we discussed school, volleyball, and work. We talked about M's job and how she actually liked working in IT. We discussed K and how she did at the volleyball tournament. Then M said, "Mom, remember when we were younger, and I would tell you something, like a problem? And you always would bring in God to the discussion? I used to hate it when you did that!"

I laughed. "I DID do that, I know you got annoyed!"

M continued, "Now, I'm so glad you did that. I really am, Mom."

WHAT?! She was saying she was glad that I brought up God when she talked about dealing with life?

I couldn't believe it. I have been pondering that this week. Me? Raised in a non-Christian home, having had no Christian training on raising children other than reading Focus on the Family books and a book on discipline by Lisa Whelchel. Yes, I did that. I remember playing a few games that Focus on the Family cooked up...teaching about prizing your body and the "present" that M could offer one day. We played a game where she fell backwards in my arms to teach her about trusting, and who to trust. I doubt M remembers any of that. She does remember doing nightly devotionals and prayers. We did that for a couple of years. She told me last year she never really listened to any of it, and would just get mad because she just wanted to go to bed. K remembers that too. What I did with K was go through the first 15 questions of the kids' catechism while she was taking a bath at the age of 5. I'm not sure if she remembers any of that. Probably should have gone through all of the questions. Apparently, what really took was the fact that when we were discussing the craziness of life when they were teenagers, I brought the subject back to God.

Here's the thing: do you see the complete incongruity in me doing any of this? I declared myself a believer at 27, got divorced at 30, sent the kids through public schools, watched all manner of crazy TV and listened to all kinds of secular music. That is how I know God did the work. It wasn't me. It was God giving me the words, using me as a vessel, helping my children see Him all the more.

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6. Apparently this is true even though you may not have been trained yourself.

M telling me that she was glad at what God did was such a huge blessing. Thanks, God.