Letters To My Younger Self

Andrew Murray wrote, “The secret of home rule is self-rule, first being ourselves what we want our children to be.”

Some things are taught, and some things are caught. Some things are given by instruction, and other things are caught by example. It’s a fact we learn more by what we see than what we hear. Children will observe their parents. They want to know what their priorities are and what is important to them. 

How important it is for parents to realize their children are a gift to them from God. Psalm 127:3-5 says, “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior’s hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates” 

“My family’s all grown, and the kids are all gone. But, if I had it to do all over again, this is what I’d do: I would love my wife more in front of my children. I would laugh with my children more—at our mistakes and our joys. I would listen more, even to the littlest child. I would be more honest about my own weaknesses, never pretending perfection. I would pray differently for my family—instead of focusing on them, I’d focus on me. I would do more things together with my children. I would encourage them more and bestow more praise. I would pay more attention to the little things like deeds, and words of thoughtfulness.”

He concludes, “If I had to do it all over again, I would share God more intimately with my family; every ordinary thing that happened in every ordinary day I would use to direct them to God.”