...So that when he is old he will not depart from it

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9

Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

Every step of motherhood is both daunting and exciting. Its a constant mental [and physical] challenge that you somehow manage to conquer every single time! Its an ongoing challenge and... an ongoing reward.

It starts with taking a pregnancy test off the store shelf and as you walk to the check out, you can't even put your finger on how your feeling. Then its seeing those little positive lines and your heart skips a beat. Your now forced to imagine your future, the rest of your lifetime with a son or daughter. How will I love and nurture this child? What kind of parent will I be? Will I be good enough? Am I going to miss not having children? Am I cut out for motherhood? Can we live on one wage? How is a baby going to change my relationship with my husband? Could I possibly love someone else as much as I love my husband? And most importantly, can I raise this little heartbeat within me to know Jesus as their saviour, so that when he is old he shall not depart from it?

Throughout pregnancy there are countless thoughts and emotions you go through, just trying to imagine a life you've never lived before. But what I struggled with most during pregnancy was the evident labour and childbirth. It caused much anxiety and it scared me to the bone. That challenge conquered! In the last weeks and days God gave me the most amazing feeling of confidence and strength. But now that I had Rupert safe in my arms I was faced with the next challenge. Recovery. After a 14 hour natural labour with no drugs and an episiotomy my body was exhausted, in pain and somewhat traumatised. 7 weeks on and I'm still dealing with the recovery. At times in tears with pain and frustration, so frustrated that after getting over one pain along came another, and it just doesn't seem to end. But nevertheless I'm conquering these challenges of painful events.

The above are all evident challenges that will be overcome. But what about my sons spiritual growth? How will I conquer this challenge? How can I be certain that Rupert will follow the ways of the Lord? How do I ingrain but not Bible bash, teach but not force? We gave our son life, and every life has a beginning but it hasn't an end. I can't make, choose or determine the decisions Rupert will make when he is older but, while he is young enough to be impressionable and influenced by us we are to make the most of it. We should lead by example and teach him the truths and stories of the Bible, and that we are in need of Jesus saving grace. We must pray for Rupert and walk in faith that, he too will follow Christ and have a personal relationship with Jesus his Saviour.