Molding Young Hearts

When my two girls were young, I read and saved this anonymous poem and a poignant reminder to me as a mom…

A Piece of Plastic Clay

I took a piece of plastic clay
And idly fashioned it one day,
And as my fingers pressed it still,
It moved and yielded to my will.

I came again when days were passed;
The bit of clay was hard at last,
The form I gave it still it bore,
But I could change that form no more.

I took a piece of living clay
And touched it gently day by day,
And molded with my power and art
A young child’s soft and yielding heart.

I came again when years were gone;
It was a mind I looked upon;
That early impress still he wore,
And I could change that form no more.

Nothing—and no one—is more near and dear to my heart than my family. And if you’re a mother, I’m sure you feel the same way. But you and I must be careful of T-I-M-E. Time is subtle. It appears to be passing slowly—too slowly for our impatient ways.

As young moms we stand at the front end of family life, a life over­flowing with bottles, diapers, and a draining lack of sleep. This phase of parenting seems to drag on… only to dully transition into a new one filled with spilled food, potty training, discipline, and a house that is never clutter-free.

If we’re not careful, we can wish and while these days away—these very few precious, God-given days available for forming the soft, yielding hearts of our children. We can so easily get caught up in trying to hurry our children’s lives along, to get past these seemingly unimportant and some­times bothersome days.

Our days can easily become filled with simply allowing time to pass by while we fail to take seriously the brief window of opportunity we have to teach and train our children. Before we know it, their soft and yielding hearts harden into a mind and a character that is set for life.

Far from being inferior or secondary in nature, our calling to be loving and godly mothers is indeed most high. No one else is called to love our children but us. And no one else can love our children like us.

I see God’s high calling as being fivefold. If you have children, you are to…

• Love them and make loving them your highest pursuit.
• Look to the Word of God for His guidelines for being a lov­ing Christian mother. Look at the modeling of older Christian women as they express Christ-like love to their children.
• Look to the older Christian women to teach you the how-­to’s of such love. Learn from such women.

Then by God’s grace you just might

• Leave your mark on the world by leaving behind a child who grows up to love and serve the Lord—who then also raises godly children to continue your godly legacy for gen­erations to come.

A Prayer to Pray:
Father, give me eyes that see beyond the daily grind, and straight to the spiritual needs of my children. I want to raise them to know Your promises so that they hold a reverent, pure love for You all of their days.

For more insight into godly parenting you might find these books helpful:
A Mom After God’s Own Heart and Raising a Daughter After God’s Own Heart by Elizabeth George.

Read Molding Young Hearts on Elizabeth & Jim George.