Does God Speak to My Children? Parenting from the Boat

I believe this is a word for many of us right now! Trust your children to know God’s voice and will for their life. Even if they are young. There is no junior Spirit. The same Spirit that speaks to the elder, is the same Spirit that speaks to the child. The same Spirit in me is the same Spirit in my ten-year-old.

A new season

We are in a season of walking on water. As parents, we are called to not only walk on water, but to watch as our children walk on this water also. And sometimes, they go first.

Even as I write this, I scream a little on the inside. Fear leaps inside of me. I have been known to mother my children a bit too much. I just love being a mom. So watching my babies “walk on water” is hard! I don’t know how deep it is or if they will get hurt or if Jesus will speak in a way they can understand correctly. And I didn’t even pack them high protein snacks! And I forgot their mask! Trusting is tricky.

Every school year we pray

As a family, we petition God every year about what our schooling will look like. Homeschool, public school, private, wherever the Spirit leads. This year, neither Shane or I had received any direction about what to do. We had been praying, having others pray, waiting, but with no answer.
Then Myla Mae, our 13-year-old, came to me with such confidence, saying she knew where she should be this year – a new private school an hour away. Birdie followed suit saying this was her decision too.

So we visited. Shane and I still very skeptical. Logistically and financially, it just didn’t make sense.

I walked through the doors of this brand new beautiful building, seeing all the smiling faces. But instead of being impressed or feeling welcomed, the enemy began to whisper. “You don’t belong here. Your kids won’t make it here. They’re not smart enough, good enough, worthy enough. You can’t afford it. They won’t keep up. Everyone will just make fun of them.”

I looked at Myla to say “I’m not sure this is for us,” when she spoke to me and said “This place is perfect for me!”. Then Birdie reminded me how we have prayed for this and now here we are. God has answered us.

And He had.

He always answers

He answered so many of my prayers in this moment. Not only were the girls certain about their education, but He also just stopped me before I passed along generational lies I have believed about worth and poverty and lack. God had also given me confirmation that He knows my children and they know Him. They know His voice!

What a blessing this was for me. And what a beautiful thing it is to watch as God reveals to someone their story. What a beautiful sound to hear as God reads to them what He has written for their life. I watched as God said to my girls “Step out of the boat and walk on the water with Me.”

Finally, after Birdie revealed and reminded me of God’s plan for her and our family, I heard Him speak. This will be a defining moment for them. This is the place. This was my moment to leave the boat and step out on the water, joining my girls with our eyes set on Christ.

Walking on water

This is a season of walking on water. God is giving us an opportunity in this season to do something different, to know Him in a new way. We have obeyed. We have gotten in the boat and sailed the rough seas. But now, He is asking us to get out of the boat. Yep! Step out of what you know is safe. Step out of the way you have been doing things. Step out of what you can see, and step into trust. Step into a new chapter. Step into the Spirit. Step into what you have been longing for and you have always known God had for you. Stand on the water! Now is a season of trusting His voice and what you hear more than what you see. Trusting the spiritual things more than the visible.

I write this to encourage you. Trust that your children hear from God too. Trust He will reveal His plans to them. Maybe, in this season, there are messages that we, as adults, can’t hear. Maybe there are sounds only for them.

This is a time to let our children lead

What an amazing opportunity for our children! How much they will grow as they experience walking on this water with God and knowing that their parents trust them. “You got this and God’s got you” we shout!

I have cheered at many games and clapped loudly as my children have received awards, but how proud and thankful I am to see them live out what they hear from God.

I encourage you friend, talk to your children about this. Trust your children. Pray not for the answers, but for them to hear the answers. What a lesson we can teach through this – how to hear and trust God’s voice.