If it were up to me, I would have frozen “the then” time so I could have enjoyed “the now” time for a little longer.
Just look at these two pictures. Just look at my only daughter, Lydia. My little one was in my belly when we took this picture. We were in San Diego (my husband had to go for a business trip and we joined him).
The two handsome boys you see on the first picture are no more my little boys. My older son, Abel, is going to move out of the house in a month and my little one, Biruk, is going to join his sister’s high school (his sister is going to get her driver license in two weeks). That means, I don’t get up in the morning to drop my little one to school anymore. I used to enjoy listening to the Family Life Today radio show with him while I drove him to school.
Well, I am fired and I don’t really like the feeling.
If there is anything that comforts me whenever I think about these beautiful people, it is this: Early on in our parenting journey (we’re still in that journey), my husband and I read the danger of favoritism and how it can hurt children mentally, emotionally, spiritually and psychologically. We read that children who thought that they were loved less by their parents might have a high chance to get involved in many dangerous lifestyles early on in their lives to find that impartial parental love they have missed when they were little kids. So, with the help of God, my husband and I decided to make each one of our children our favorite child and letting them know that every day not only by our words but also by our actions (1 John 3:18).
May the name of Jesus Christ be praised forever!
So, since they were little, if you ask them who is mom’s and dad’s favorite child, each one of them would say, “All of us!”
This is very important.
So, parents of little children, make sure that you make all of your children, please listen to me, all of your children, your favorite children. If you choose to make one child more favorite one than the other, you may successfully destroy the beautiful family picture God is drawing out of your home.
Read the story of Jacob and Esau (Genesis 25-27). Jacob was his mother’s favorite son and Esau was his father’s favorite son. Then favoritism not only broke their family bonds, it also broke their bones. So, don’t let favoritism rule your family. Fight against it. Love your children equally no matter what; and make sure you let them hear and see this impartial love often.
We can love all our children equally and completely “- – – because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit,” (Romans 5:5). Hallelujah! ///