I often get asked the question, "How did your older girls turn out so well?" My older girls who are 17 and almost 20 love the Lord with all their heart and are striving to follow him. I do not have an easy answer. My main prayer has always been, "Lord, make up for where I am lacking." He has been very faithful in doing just that! Which is good because I am very much aware of my own limitations. I think the most important thing to keep in mind is taken from Psalm 127 - "Unless the Lord builds the house, the laborers labor in vain." As parents, we can do all the right things but if we are not leaning back in the Lord in everything we do, our efforts are in vain.I did not homeschool my older girls all the way through high school. I only homeschooled them through 2nd and 5th grade and then sent them to public school. We did not pray every night as a family. I did not do scripture memory with them. I also let them watch more TV then I'd like to admit.
It is easy to lose hope of our children turning out well as we are surrounded by so much sinfulness in the world and then pile on top of that the awareness of our own inadequacies but we need to trust that God is in control. The most important thing we can do for our children is lean back in Christ, surrender and let him do the rest. Recently I was in prayer and I saw a vision of this icon of Jesus making a peace sign with one hand and holding the world with the other. It was as if Jesus was saying, "Peace, I've got this!"
