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It's amazing how different children can be. About the time I thought I had learned how to raise our firstborn, she grew into another stage. It seems I could never quite catch her. Then our second child came along, another girl. By then I thought I had learned all about being a parent, but our second daughter was nothing like our first.

As a father when I am disciplining, I can give one of those ugly-face kind of looks. You know, something that looks like Attila the Hun raised from the dead. When I look at my firstborn in that way, she will respond immediately.

But when I try using that same look on my second-born, it sometimes seems to come back to me good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. Dealing with her requires a different approach.

That's true with every child. Each one is a little different.

Dwelling Together in Unity
Now take six children and two adults, each having their own unique set of gifts and personalities; put them all under one roof and have them dwell together in unity. That is the miracle we call our family.

It takes work, and lots of it. Knowing that the devil's main tactic is to divide and conquer, we keep a constant vigil to make sure we don't let him in.

A classic example of how quickly things can suddenly get out of hand is the simple task of getting everyone ready to go to church.

It usually starts when I go to shave in the morning only to find my can of shaving cream empty because my toddlers used its entire contents the night before to take a bubble bath. After retrieving a new can from the pantry, I finally lather up.

Then I take my razor and, with one quick swipe down my face, nick myself in ten different places. The reason: a dull razor! All six women in our house had used my razor the night before to shave their legs.

After having stopped the bleeding, I reach for my favorite toothbrush only to find that it has been knocked from its holder and is lying on the floor behind the toilet.

About this time, I learn that we have a typical Sunday morning math problem: too many women and not enough pantyhose! That requires a stop on the way to church at the convenience store to pay twice the price for another pair of hose. As the father of five daughters, I believe it is better to buy pantyhose by the pound than by the pair.

When we get everyone out of the house and into the Suburban, we suddenly remember that our vehicle was totally trashed during Saturday's all-day excursion to ball games, birthday parties, the grocery store, Wal-Mart and a trip to the vet.

By the time we finally make it to church, we need to sing praises to God.

But in those rare and precious moments when things are quiet and settled, we admit that we wouldn't trade this life for anything else in the world.

My Prayer for You and Your Family
I want you to get a picture in your mind of all your loved ones -your spouse, your children, your grandchildren. While you are picturing them, I will tell you how Jesus prayed in John 17. He said: "Father, I pray not only for those who are alive today but for those yet to be born" (Author's paraphrase; v20).

Jesus prayed three things, and I want to pray them for your family right now:
Heavenly Father, I pray that Mom and Dad will be a tremendous influence over their family.

Number one, I pray what Jesus prayed: that You make them one together as members of the Body of Christ, just as You and Jesus are One. May there be unity in this house. May these parents and their children walk as close to You as did Your Son Jesus. If it were not possible, He would not have prayed it. So may they continue to grow in Your grace and in Your knowledge.

Number two, Father, let the joy of Jesus be manifested in their lives. Let these parents and their children be known as families of laughter and of joy.

Number three, Father, Jesus said the world would hate all believers because they are not of this world, and He prayed that they not be taken out of this world but be kept from the evil in it. So I pray now, Father, that You keep this family from the evil that's in this world, in Jesus' name.

Source: God Knows How to Raise Your Kids - Even if You Don't by John McGee.
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Author Biography

Joe McGee
Web site: Joe McGee Ministries
 
Joe McGee, author, national conference speaker, father, and former school administrator, is the founder and director of Joe McGee Ministries, Inc. and Faith For Families Ministries.
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