Chocolate Footballs

…Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.

Psalm 127:3 (NLT)

Picture the recipe below and I bet you can guess the tragedy that descended on our family one day thirty-seven years ago.

One three-year-old boy.
One twenty-six-year-old dad.
One really cool, blue sports car.
One half a dozen foil wrapped chocolate footballs.
One really warm summer day.

You guessed it! A melted chocolate mess!

Well, what could have been a total disaster actually turned into a sweet memory. My brand-new husband and his little son, John, were the key players in this memorable day. I had never had children, so I give myself a pass on culpability.

Ken, as it turns out, has always been great at picking out neat treats for the kids in our lives. He remembered how much he loved chocolate footballs as a kid, and he wanted John to share in that pleasure. John seemed to sense how special the treat was. Instead of immediately eating them, he held them in his tiny fists like a treasure.

We got into my husband’s immaculate, cool ride and went to run an errand. Of course, that whole sentence is completely out of whack. If you could have seen the car you would know, it should never have been put to such a domestic test to begin with.

When we got to our stop we realized the error in judgment. As Ken was pulling John out of the car, he realized what had happened. But somehow, John managed to keep all of the melted chocolate on himself. There was not one speck of chocolate on the seats.

The heart break began when John realized that his treasure was now chocolate goo. But Ken proved his skill as a dad. He had John washed up and in clean clothes (that I didn’t even know he had brought with us) in no time at all. Then, he did what only great dads know to do. He replaced the treasure. All was right with John’s world once more.

The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him.

Psalm 103:13 (NLT)

And with that, I want to remind you of our key verse for this devotion. Children are very special gifts from God. But this world seems to have forgotten that truth. Children seem to be more at risk these days than ever before. They are at risk of losing all sense of right and wrong. That is because God has been removed from their schools and homes, but mostly He is excluded from their hearts.

The irony is that the people who are responsible for placing them at risk were once children themselves, and many of those children were raised with an awareness of God. Now, those adults have reduced God to an irrelevant fairy tale.

Now our study for today is not focused on child abuse, trafficking, abortion, or neglect. Those topics are so serious, and each deserves singular recognition and a heartfelt outpouring of attention and prayer for the dear ones affected by such wickedness. Only our lives in Heaven will bring an end to those atrocities.

“…act justly, seek mercy and walk humbly with your God.”

Micah 6:8 (NLT)

My concern on this day actually has more to do with the moral decline and rapid loss of values like decorum, manners, brotherly love, lack of parental involvement, narcissism and other enemies of the family. Even modesty and reverence in the Church have become less of a concern.

God’s Word gives believers everything they need to know about raising Godly children. And it starts with treasuring your children for the priceless souls that they are. You do that by teaching them this Truth:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

John 3:16-17 (KJV)

God so loved

You can begin teaching the children in your life that lifesaving message from the time they can understand language. Just keep it age appropriate, and don’t discourage them by preaching at them. By all means, teach them to pray. God is with them in their world when you can’t be, and they will need Him in this darkness.

A Psalm for every child – Psalm 139

So, on days when the chocolate footballs have melted and you are inconvenienced by a three-year-old, you don’t need to have a meltdown yourself. You love them by demonstrating how Jesus would respond. With Kindness. Forgiveness. Cleansing. Restoration. Love.

That’s what Jesus did for you.

Sounds simplistic, doesn’t it? Well, there’s nothing simple about it. The enemy will fight tooth and nail for you to be more worried about your possessions than teaching your little ones virtues like self-control, grace, peace, and Godly love.

Some people make cutting remarks,
but the words of the wise bring healing.

Proverbs 12:18 (NLT)

Stay connected to Jesus through your walk with Him. Go to church, read your Bible, and pray for your children, grandchildren, and those in homes where God is absent. Model Christ for your home and world.

Deuteronomy 6: 5-9

How beautiful are the feet of those who share the Good News!

Isaiah 52:7 (Paraphrased)