We are just a few hours away from the start of National Child’s Month here in Jamaica. I am rushing to get to you before the excitement kicks in.

Backtrack/ Did you know?

National Child’s month existed before Jamaica gained independence. Yes, Lady Foote instigated it. I’m grateful that it has been allowed to continue all these years.

Why?

The objective of National Child’s Month is to ” educate the public about the needs of children and articulate what each of us can do.”

Theme?

Each year there is a theme. How cool! The theme is carefully chosen to address the social issues that are affecting our children in negative ways. This year’s theme is”A.F.F.I.R.M Me! ( Acknowledge Me, Friend Me, Favour Me, influence Me positively, Respect Me, Motivate Me)

Me

I’m all things children being a teacher and a preacher. I feel compelled to do more this time around for this special time and want you to get involved in any way you can.

Psalm 127:3

Lo, children are the heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is His reward. (KJV)

Quite a number there be of those who have and are trying various methods to conceive since, for whatever the reasons, they have borne no fruit. The truth is this, not one of us can get pregnant at will. It is God who controls this process. It is God who has gifted us with fertile wombs and productive sperms.

When even the commonest of mankind gives us something, the expectation is that we would be grateful and also make every effort to preserve the gift and see to its longevity and usefulness.

The same is true about God. We, as parents, are expected to do a number of things with the gifts/ children that we have been allowed to caretake. Some of these are:

1. Be intentional about discovering the usefulness and purpose of the gifts as we do about appliances. In other words, we must find out God’s plans/ intentions for the children he gave to us.

Jeremiah 1: 5

“Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I knew you. Before I you were born, I chose you for a special work…”

Like using a blender as a washing machine, so it is when we impose our desires and plans without knowing God’s plans for our children.

2. Make every effort to follow God’s plans as they are revealed to us.

3. Watch over them and preserve them.

Here are a few ways to watch over them:

A. Be acquainted with the developmental milestones and provide the necessary tools and stimulation to ensure that they flourish. You will also be able to quickly recognise developmental delays and enact early intervention.

B. Secure their environments. Protect them from abusive words, abusive behaviours, explicit sexual content and activities, poor nutrition and traumatic experiences.

The Gift!

I am not ignorant of the fact that there are some who have not accepted their children as super gifts. Yes, they are super gifts! It is the next best thing since Christ died in our stead to liberate us from the bondage of sin.

We tend to struggle with our gifts at times, because we get caught up in the events surrounding the conceptions. Oh bwoy! What a loss!

The fruits of our wombs are rewards from God. Our children are rewards from God. How amazing! He gives us children not as payback for the wrongs we have done nor as burdens but as favour. Children are tokens for good if we know how to receive and educate them. Please note that I believe that there is a vast difference between educating children and schooling them.

Children, our children, are extreme blessings. God will be with you and your children because they are His.

Hmmm! In what place has this article found you? If you need assistance in appropriating this, link me.

Thanks for reading. Please share and help another. Subscribe and follow my thoughts for this month. Let us hear God together.