Posted in Family Life

As the mother of three very normal boys, I have learned a few things about the wonderful adventure of raising sons.  I often tell people that there is never a dull moment at our house.  The unexpected nature with which boys often react to life’s situations makes it impossible to anticipate at any given moment what will happen next.  My sons, being the very boyish boys that they are, often do things that baffle and perplex their very female mother and sisters.  Frankly, as a mother it can be frustrating at times to know how to respond to certain boyish tendencies.  Their God-given hunger for adventure and their enthusiasm and energy (which can be very useful when channeled properly) can cause a momma to shake her head, shrug her shoulders, or let out a momentary yelp of exasperation.  Even so, I wouldn’t have them any other way.

Each time my boys climb a tree or dismantle a toy or even chase each other through the house with wooden swords, they are honing their skills for someday fulfilling their God-given mandate to take dominion on the earth.  The seemingly excess energy little boys possess does serve an important purpose.  It is an essential aspect of what will make them men.  I have learned over the past thirteen years that it is important for a mother of boys to come up with creative ways with which to harness that energy and cannel it in constructive ways.  Keeping boys busy with worthwhile projects is the key to keeping them out of trouble.    Giving boys something to keep their attention and capture their imagination can be useful in developing in them important skills they will need as men someday.

I love being the mother of boys.  There is so much enjoyment in watching them grow into the men God designed them to be.  They are funny, interesting, capable, confident, excited people who are truly fun to be around and definitely worth getting to know.  Yes, life can be chaotic and noisy.  Boys tend to be disruptive and even destructive at times.  But the benefits far outweigh the trials.  The amazing privilege of working with the Lord to raise tomorrow’s leaders makes it worth all the hassles and headaches.  When I am especially frustrated, I like to stop and picture what my boys will be like ten or twenty years from now.  I like to look down the corridor of time to when they have become husbands, fathers, church leaders, statesmen, craftsmen, and whatever else the Lord may have in store for their lives.  I try to picture the fruit that will come from all the cultivating I am doing each day as my husband and I work to lay foundations and develop their character.  Keeping the long range goal in mind gives me the strength and determination I need to continue in this good work the Lord has set before me; remembering that vision preserves me from becoming weary in well-doing.

Raising sons is an adventure, but it is also an incredible privilege and one of the most important things I could ever attempt to do with my life.

This is the first in a series of posts I plan to share about the things I have learned on the wonderful journey of raising boys