Dear future parent in-law

Good morning dear future parent in-law!

I am writing to you this morning to let you know that your prayers concerning us and your future children in-law are not in vain. We as your future parents in-law have been working very hard to raise up godly children and praying that you are doing the same.

To be honest, I cannot even begin to claim that I have it all figured out. Learning on the job is the best description of this parenting journey and a lot of errors have happened. Maybe it is good that I have failed severally because as I receive grace and mercy I have also learnt to extend it to my own parents for their grievous parental errors.

Just to bring you up to speed on the major milestones so far. We joined the Anglican church a few years ago and following church tradition the children have both been baptized. They each have a set of god parents and an extra go parent of their gender: how cool is that ??. We have kept our commitment to take them to church, teach them God’s Word and teach them to pray. I am currently working on an alphabetical Bible memorization plan – to learn the alphabet through Bible verses: Totally looking forward to that. I have no doubt it will be fun. On songs, I must confess we are not doing so well on hymns. We need to get a plan going; I am favouring hymns in my mother tongue – Kikuyu. Maybe next time I write to you, I will have something concrete to say on this.

Praying for the children has been one adventurous journey. We have prayed spur of the moment prayers, followed a schedule and sometimes not prayed. Yes, told you perfection is far from us. But we walk on. I must also confess that we have not been very consistent in praying for you and your children. It would seem that sometimes we have revival season of interceding for you then it all goes down and we don’t mention you for days. I am hoping this communication will begin a consistency in our prayers for you and your children.

Disciplining is as per the Bible so the rod is our constant companion. We also attended a parenting class a few years ago that I must confess has helped us especially in this area of discipline. Specifically on the how to – lest we replicate the kind of excessive, abusive, in anger, fuelled by shame kind discipline meted out on us by our parents. But I must confess, it has not been a walk in the park. My dear, sin is real! That we are born in sin is now so real to me. Because honestly the kind of defiance I see in this children, no one teaches them how to sin: they’re born in it and with it. But thank God for redemption, hallelujah. Yes we have been talking about the cross and sin consistently and praying for them to acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Saviour in due time.

Now let me share with you something that’s got me excited and what I am currently working on with the children.

A few weeks ago I was in Bible Study and a verse that I have read and heard talked about for many years was unpacked in a way that got me to prayer. Before I tell you about the verse, I need to let you know about the Bible Study I attend. It is by one Pastor Jon Courson, and it is aired on one of our local Christian Radio stations here in Kenya: Hope FM. Been in this Bible Study for a decade plus now and I have been spiritually nourished as a result. Feel free to check the guy out: he actually has all the Bible Study lessons online. Expository Bible Study is his style, amazing!

So back to the Bible verse, here it is:

Train up a child in the way he should go,
    and when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)

Train up a child in “THE WAY HE SHOULD GO” . . .

What is the way a child should go?

Are there different ways for each child?

I started praying about this and last weekend I got my answer. I was walking from the market with the children and the Lord spoke to me so clearly.

The way Wendo and Thayu (names of our children) should go is:

1. The way of the fear of God
2. The way of seeking God
   1. That they may know Him
   2. That they may please Him
   3. That they may transformed into the image of His Son Jesus Christ.

I am really excited to actively pursue training them in this way. I need to figure out the practical parts of ‘this way’. But in the meantime I am sure it entails the study of God’s Word, living out that Word and prayer. So that’s what we are going to be doing.

Did I mention BSF (Bible Study Fellowship)? It is one of the place that I go with the children for Bible Study. Amazing fellowship. I will tell you more about it in our subsequent letters.

That’s it for now.

Remember that you are in our prayers, you and your children. You that God may equip you and enable you to bring up a godly offspring and your children that God may draw them to Himself and keep them there.

With lots of love.

JM

Your future parent in-law

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