It Takes a Village

Good morning, Five Minute Families. This weekend our church had a baby dedication for the new little ones in our church family. Please note that a baby dedication is not a baptism, so if you want more information about the difference, please let us know. But, as to something our pastor mentioned… “it takes a village to raise a child.”For the longest time, that African proverb really bothered me. I think because so many politicians with nefarious educational goals and parenting ideas were constantly using the phrase when my kids were younger. But, despite how others may MIS-use the saying, truly, biblically, we are to be in community. We are to one another the hard-to-discipline kids, and their parents, too. We are to one another the child who never speaks in Sunday school, and their parents, too. We are to one another the sports star kid and their parents as well as the kid with physical disabilities and their parents. We are to encourage, mentor, love, and support one another no matter what comes along. Through the season of parenting, we need biblical community. Quite often, we seek out biblical community that is from our same-age peer group. We have similar experiences, similar development and maturity, and more. I still have a friend that I met on my first night of a moms’ group twenty-three years ago. Our main connecting factors at that time were that we are very close to the same age and both Christians, and, thus, that put most of our children at about the same ages. Most of us seek out same-age peer groups for ease of communication and connection, but as Titus 2 points out, the older generations are to teach the younger generations. As a young parent, speaking to other young parents, we are all just experimenting, not really yet knowing the results, but when an older parent takes the time to share what worked for her kiddos and what didn’t IN THE LONG RUN, we can make better decisions for our children. Research is showing the importance of multi-generational community.Hebrews 10:23-25 points, “Let us hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, since he who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” We WILL have difficult seasons, even with neuro-typical children who have no physical, mental, or learning disabilities. Parenting each child will have moments of uncertainty and moments when we draw away from our biblical community. That’s when the community needs to step up and step in and encourage the parents and help meet the needs of the kiddos in other ways.Remember what Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep warm? And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.”Take, for example, Numbers 11 and the last part of verse 17. “They will help you bear the burden of the people, so that you do not have to bear it by yourself.” In full context, this is about Moses contending with the people of Israel and their constant grumbling and complaining. Moses can only take so much, and that is true for parents sometimes. Certain seasons and certain children are very difficult. Without help, parents can reach their breaking point. Remember that you are NOT equipped for every single element of skill and every single need that your child will have. We are equipped as godly parents, and godly parents have to be willing to trust another in the faith to teach, counsel, and encourage their children. Romans 12:3-6 “For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts.”Parents, we need to pray that God will bring us wisdom and that He bring the right people into our and our children’s lives as needed. We must pray for mentors and peers, so that they can help build us up and help give us the insight we need to meet the needs that God intends for us to meet. Hold tight to God and the biblical community He brought you to. Be blessed!