Teach Them

This week, our little office of 66 workers, has been doubly blessed. Two new beautiful babies were born. One on Monday and one last night (it is sketchy as to the exact time yet, MEN!). The parents of Monday's Child, both work here in the office as engineers. This is their first child and they are excited and nervous. Monday's Child even came two weeks early. Friday's Child's father works here and was just a few days early and is also a first child. I am so happy for them.

Monday's Child is a boy, which was expected. Friday's Child, was expected to be a boy, but...either they were just telling us that, or boy were they surprised! When I was told the name of Friday's Child, I said, "That isn't the name he told me." SURPRISE! Trusting that ultrasound isn't always the smartest thing. Things are hidden, or what they think they are looking out, isn't what it really is.

Do you think the following poem is correct?

Mondays child is fair of face,
Tuesdays child is full of grace,
Wednesdays child is full of woe,
Thursdays child has far to go,
Fridays child is loving and giving,
Saturdays child works hard for his living,
And the child that is born on the Sabbath day
Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.

I think that we call be all of these things. It is interesting to see what traits are brought out of a child though. Both my children were born on Saturday. Allie works hard at all she does. Timm? Well, he sometimes works, but never too hard. He is more into making others either do the work for him or how easy he can do it. He has many other good traits.

We quickly care for each need of a newborn. Even before they cry, we sometimes check to make sure they are wrapped up tight, eating right, and clean. But that gets weary. The two a.m. feedings, the constant making of bottles, the doing everything for them is very tiring to us. As newborn Christians come into our family, do we feel the same way? It is hard to keep up with someone new and help motivate them, to show them what God says and where he says it. Sometimes we say "let someone else do it this time". But who? If you just leave it to chance, then they are without a mentor. Will you help the newborn grow? Will you help guide the new family to feel at home and become active members in your church?

Titus 2:1-10

You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. ²Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

³Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. ⁴Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.

⁶Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. ⁷In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness ⁸and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.

⁹Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, ¹⁰and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.