Cup of Tea Together

It's a pleasant moment ... your child is across the room, you catch his eye, you squat, lovingly call his name, you open your arms to your child inviting him to a big hug ... how does he respond?

You've just gotten a snapshot of the heart of your child towards you.

The Bible gives us the perfect picture of a loving Shepherd and the sheep that trust Him. John 10


Truly, I tell all of you with certainty, the person who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. It is to him the gatekeeper opens the gate, and it is his voice the sheep hear. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has driven out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not recognize the voice of strangers,
I am the good Shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep... I am the good shepherd, I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep.

Parents are like the shepherd our children are like the sheep.
We want our children to love and trust us like the sheep trust the shepherd.
The gatekeeper opens the gate only to the trusted shepherd.
In a way our children's spirit is like the gatekeeper, they will only open their hearts or the gate to the trusted shepherd. They open their hearts to us when it is safe for them to do so.
Each child is different but the Word of God gives us a good basis for knowing how to reach a child's heart. It's by the fruit of His Holy Spirit that we are able to speak so the child will listen.
Watch and listen to your interactions with your child. Are your words and actions full of

love,         joy,       peace,    patience,

kindness,       goodness,

faithfulness,          gentleness    and   self control

The Shepherd is our shepherd that leads us too, you and I. He is so kind to us. It's the Shepherd's voice that we want to listen for. We can know if it's the Shepherd calling us by what we hear Him saying. Words like:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 1 Corinthians 13

When we hear a voice calling to us, be it from our own minds or books we read or advice from others measure it against those words from God and you will be able to discern the bad shepherd from the Good Shepherd. 

As a parent speaks the Words that the Shepherd speaks that's when our children will open themselves up and trust our voice and follow us. Then as a parent we will be a good shepherd, we will lay down our lives for our sheep and they will follow us.