Friday, June 3, 2011

From This Mama to You

I think a lot.  And some of my most recent thoughts have lead me to write this, from a mama to another mama.

I want to see a lot of things in this world change.  But I can't do it all.  But I can make a dent by investing in the little life I've been blessed to care for.  And while there are many things that need to be done in ending Human Trafficking, one of the greatest needs is to change the demand, and to change the demand means to change the hearts of our men and women, and that starts with our own.

So...

As a mama of a little girl, I promise you, mamas of little boys:

To raise her to know her self worth and beauty.  To be confident in the way God created her so that she wont have to seek confidence in your sons.

To raise her with a heart for modesty, so that she will feel beautiful with her most delicate skin covered in such a way that your sons will not have to be tempted and tested with what she wears.  So that your husbands wont have to see a young girl with her curves flaunted in such a way...  so that it will be her heart your sons desire.

To raise her to respect others and to see them for their self beauty and not world beauty, so that kindness would flow from her.

To raise her to respect those older and wiser, and seek wisdom from those who have walked before her.

To raise her to cherish this time on earth as something limited, so that your sons may be cherished as well.

To raise her to embrace the innocence of children, so that if she were blessed to birth your son's children, she would care and nurture them in love.

To raise her to find a passion and to seek after Jesus so that your sons may find their passion and seek after Jesus without a hindrance.

To raise her to love purity.  


I promise to raise my daughter in such a way, that she grow into a young woman that will not cause your sons to stumble or their thoughts to wander.  I promise to raise her in such a way that this world would change, if even the slightest, for the better. 

And that is my promise to you.


19 comments:

  1. Oh my.
    Thank you, from the heart of a mumma of a son.
    And I completely joon you on this as the mumma of two girls.
    It's so important and you put it so well!!
    I love this.
    Your heart is amazing.
    xx Stacey

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  2. Amen sister!
    This is our calling as moms to little girls!
    Purity, modesty, respect, compassion and love.
    So important!!
    xo

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  3. oh and if it is possible your daughter gets more beautiful with each passing day! oh my!

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  4. That's the cutest little face! :)

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  5. you always write so beautifully. your daughter is lucky to have such a loving and nurturing mother like you. And can she be any cuter?

    [sweet life of a southern wife]

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  6. I have to say THANK YOU! I am Momma to a 17 (almost 18) year old young man who is blessed with a young lady whos Momma raised her in just this way! It is precious and beautiful to see!!! When children (boys and girls) are raised in this manner it shows the very FACE of God The Father when they find each other and HIS plan is seen =)

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  7. "To raise her to know her self worth and beauty. To be confident in the way God created her so that she wont have to seek confidence in your sons."

    THANK YOU!!!

    I have to admit......she is so BEAUTIFUL........it will be more of a struggle to keep her humble :) and I mean that in the sweetest, most adoring way. You have such a gorgeous girl on your hands.

    Amen to Teena Elrod and to my mother-in-law who raised not one, but two sons who respect, love, honor, cherish, and protect their wives.

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  8. I think you are a great mama, and I hope I have a good mama heart like you when I'm blessed with a child someday.

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  9. Well please please send her our way in about 20 years. Everyone says oh you'll have it easy having a boy you dont have to worry so much. OH my gosh I think I have to worry more at times for when he gets older. All of those values you listed- girls dont have those anymore and I know it because when I go to the mall I see 12 and 13 year olds with mini skirts on. Girls are getting more sexually aggressive too. How am I supposed to raise Ryan to respect women, to be honorable, to be a strong head of his his household and to lead his family in faith. How do I teach him that less is more when it comes to intimacy before marriage- as in just kiss her wait for the really good stuff its worth it. How do I do all that when there are girls throwing themselves at boys to feel needed and loved. How do I teach him to respect women that dont respect themselves.
    OKAY I agree that its not all up to the parents of girls we ALL have our work cut out for us. ALL of us whether we are raising sons or daughters need to give our children MORE. More virtue, more faith, more respect... I could go on.
    Thank you for being an incredible girl mama :) love you

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  10. Man, can you imagine if most mammas had this goal? Wow. This is such a beautiful aspiration. I pray that I can do the same for daughter (hopefully) one day! It also makes me thankful that my parents instilled some of these same things in me!

    PS: I LOVE the new look. I meant to tell you the other day :)

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  11. so beautiful Jhen. Thanks for giving me the words for how to raise Siena. Love your beautiful new look by the way!

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  12. Oh, so beautiful. Thank you. I have a daughter too and this is my prayer.

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  13. This is so great to read. I really hope there are more moms out there with these same intentions and who stick with these intentions as well.

    Switching to the boy side, I saw a boy, like, 14, with the most vulgar shirt on at the store today and I was so disgusted. I don't understand how a parent would allow their son to wear such a sexually explicit shirt.

    Praying your daughter and my future ones learn to guard their hearts to such things and understand the value of morals and purity.

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  14. This makes my heart so happy. I have yet to have children but I know this is how I want to raise my daughters, and in raising my daughters I hope my sons will also glean the information and awareness to living pure lives. Your daughter is so very blessed to have you as her mama.

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  15. In a society like where we live this is very important. I do raise a boy and cannot imagine how hard is to raise a girl, not that raising a boy is easy, but there are so much less stress.
    I admire you. Your baby is beautiful and have to know that.

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  16. that is so beautiful. your daughter has an amazing mommy. :) people like you make me hopeful about the next generation of kids. x

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  17. Just found your blog via Naptime Diaries. This post brought on the tears. As a mom to a little son, I pray for the future ladies in his life all the time. I promise to raise my son to respect and honor daughters.

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  18. If only every mother could grasp this concept of virtue!! From a momma to two lil guys, thanks for raising a future wife worth honoring! Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised!

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  19. Came over from Naptime Diaries and this post is AMAZING! I have 2 boys and 2 girls and this speaks right to my heart. It's a part of parenting that I feel I must get right. I know it will only be through God's grace. Thanks for writing this!

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