Interconnected: Relationshipsنموونە

A Quiver Truly Full

An incredible gem of parenting wisdom that often slips under the radar is found in this verse. Solomon, in his great wisdom, says that parents should be happy when they have children—a quiver full of them! Yesterday, we read how Solomon likened the parent-child dynamic to arrows (children) in the hands of a mighty warrior (parents), poised, aimed, and ready to fly. Today, we see the continuation of that thought . . .

Notice how the verse begins with the word “happy” (a.k.a. joyful, content, cheerful, and blissful). We experience all of these emotions as parents, plus a vast range of many others. To have our quivers—or rather, our hearts and our homes—full of spirited, kid-shaped arrows is the essence of happiness. But being a parent isn’t always happy. Many times it’s hard. Sometimes, it’s downright unbearable.

Life gets heavy, even ugly. We tend to believe our kids need perfect, Pinterest-worthy homes to shield them against the troubles, trials, and the burdens of living. Our first instinct is to cover their eyes and ears until the bad parts are over. But the man with a quiver full of capable arrows can fortify himself and his family against the darts of the enemy. Each arrow is different, but they’re all of great use in battle, by God’s good design. The Bible says that taken together, their energy, zeal, and youth will actually give us the boldness we need to face the enemy. They back us up when life gets real. They’re our weapons, and this is war. We can fight, and with God’s help, we can win.

As parents, we’re tasked to steep our children in an atmosphere of faith, plant them in God’s House, pray, and believe that He will bless our feeble attempts at raising godly kids. We must fly those arrows straight at the target. And watch as they go places we never dreamt possible!

DIG: What emotions do you typically feel toward the idea of being a parent, and toward your children in general?
DISCOVER: In what ways are your kids stronger than you? How can you empower them to contribute their God-given gifts to the family unit and to the larger body of Christ?
DISPLAY: Take time today to pray and ask God to reveal the ways in which you have been unnecessarily shielding your kids, and how you can encourage and build them up in their gifts.