• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Candidly Christian

Real Women. Real Life. Real Faith.

  • Blog
    • Most Recent
    • The Gospel
    • Faith
    • Prayer
    • Self Worth
    • Anxiety
    • Chronic Pain
    • Marriage
    • Parenting
  • Resources
    • Candid Books
    • Free Resources
    • Recommended Resources
    • Resources For Christian Bloggers
      • Blog Post Checklist
      • Christian Link-Ups
  • Scriptures to Live By
    • Bible Verses for When the Struggle is Real
      • Bible Verses for When You Feel Worthless
      • Scriptures for When Your Heart is Hurting
      • A Scripture To Trust God When You’re Afraid
      • Scriptures for When You Feel Inadequate
      • 3 Scriptures to Find Balance in an Unbalanced World
      • 5 Bible Verses for When You Feel Alone
      • 6 Bible Verses to Read When You Feel Anxious
      • 5 Life Gives You Lemons Verses
    • Scriptures for When You Need Help
      • Scriptures to Help You Overcome Self-Pity
      • Bible Verses to Help You Memorize Scripture
      • 5 Bible Verses to Help You Sleep
    • Scriptures to Live By When You’re Living for Jesus
      • Bible Verses About Hope
      • Bible Verses About God’s Love
      • 5 Bible Verses on Patience
      • Scriptures for the New Year
  • Learn More
    • About Our Ministry
    • Meet The Candid Gals
    • Contact Us
    • Belief Statement
    • The Legal Stuff
  • Get Involved
    • Join Our Prayer Team
    • Join Us For A Candid Anthology
    • Be Our Guest
    • Become a Candid Gal
    • Contact Us
  • Why Jesus?
  • Show Search
Hide Search
3 Things My Son Teaches Me About Jesus

3 Things My Son Teaches Me About Jesus

Jessica Schneider · January 9, 2019 · 6 Comments

Charlie wasn’t listening again. It has seemed to be a huge pattern. So, while lying in bed about to read him a book I decided to ask him what would make him a better listener.

Jesus. He said.

Yeah (I said in a breath knowing what he said was deeply true), do you think you can ask Jesus to help you be a better listener?

Yes.

Okay, why don’t you pray?

Dear God, thank you for this day, and have Jesus make me better. Amen.

And that was the first of many of the things that Charlie has taught me about Jesus. The faith of a child. So quick to know the answer, and not to second guess what that answer is.

But I do second guess a lot. I second guess because sometimes I can’t see the path He has before me, and sometimes because the path is just painful. And that brings me to the second thing that Charlie teaches me about Jesus.

Love Does Hard Things

I like pulled pork!

That is what Charlie told us after we had to put some boundaries around meal time. Dinner was getting to be a border line painful time at our house. It would take Charlie over an hour to have his dinner, and sometimes he would act like we were pulling his arm out when we tried to get him to finish. So, we decided to take the “tough love” approach and put a timer on for him, once the timer rang, we would take his food away. Now my child isn’t starving, he eats quite a bit during the day, but watching him cry when the timer went off was gut wrenching.

And it wasn’t any easier the next morning when he begged me not to take his food away when I gave him breakfast. I didn’t have to, but it was really hard on my heart.

And life can just be hard on the heart. Recently a friend of mine was telling me that she had to have a hard conversation with the pastor at her church to ensure the best safety for the children that attend the preschool she works at. This isn’t how things were supposed to go when God created man in the garden of Eden. But God loved us so much that He gave us the gift of choice. And we get the opportunity to choose love. Even when it is hard.

We get the opportunity to choose love… Even when it is hard. Click To Tweet

Love Is A Gift, But It’s Also A Choice

Speaking of gifts. When Jesus was born, the wise men brought gold, frankincense and, myrrh. Although these gifts held much significance one was the spiritual meaning. It was customary to honor a king with these items. Gold symbolizing kingship, frankincense representing a priestly role, and myrrh being an anointing oil. There is also interpretation that myrrh symbolizes death, and it also makes an appearance when Jesus is on the cross. Of myrrh’s many uses, it was customary to give those who were condemned by death by crucifixion myrrh mixed with wine because it acts as an anesthetic.  Jesus is offered this mixture, but He refuses. He turns down something that would ease His pain.

How many times have you wanted to run away from the hard things?  I would rather turn my back on the hard conversations, and hide when life gets overwhelming.

Love is hard, and with Charlie it would be really easy to just let him eat mac and cheese, and chicken nuggets for dinner every night (okay that isn’t the full range of foods that he will eat, but you get the point).

But seriously, yes this was tough on us, but exercising this tough love is nothing compared to what Jesus endured on the cross because of His love for us. Before going to the cross Jesus was praying to the Father that if there was any way to take the cup of suffering from Him, let it be, but nevertheless, the Father’s will be done.  Here was Jesus again submitting to the will of His father, refusing something that would help take His own pain away.

Love, is a lot of times choosing to do what is hard.

We Can Trust The One Who Guides Our Steps

The third and final thing that I am going to share that my son teaches me is that when I follow His path, I can trust Him, and live expectantly that what He has before me is good.

3 Things My Son Teaches Me About Jesus

Charlie loves trains. If trains could be a love language, that would be Charlie’s. Thomas the tank engine is his favorite.

Mike thought it would be a great idea to get Charlie tickets to a Thomas event for his 3rd birthday. We wanted this to be a special day just for him, and we kept this a secret from him for about 4 months, until it was time to give him his surprise. The whole day was special, beginning with getting munchkins from Dunkin Donuts (and of course coffee for mom and dad).

Where Next?

Every few minutes he kept asking us where we were going, and I am sure with the long car ride (1 hour and 15 minutes to be exact), he may have thought to himself that the surprise couldn’t be that good if he had to wait that long. But if he was having those thoughts, they disappeared the second we parked the car.

The surprise was a ride on a life-size Thomas the train, along with carnival rides, and other things that were train and Thomas related, but we had to take a school bus to take us to where the event was. Charlie sees the school bus, and is overly excited that he gets to ride the bus. I think he thought that was his big surprise, however the joy on his face when he saw the life-size Thomas is probably something I will never forget.

There were a couple of times during the day that he got scared, like when the train blew its whistle (in his defense it was really loud!), but most of the day he was on cloud 9 and his big adventure was well worth the wait!

About Jesus & Thomas

Following Jesus can be a lot like this. Jesus tells us to follow Him, but we don’t really know where we are following him to. He says to be strong and courageous, but taking His lead can be scary. He says that He is the way, but the way doesn’t seem that great. And we know He has a plan, but the wait is so long.

We knew that Charlie was going to love his surprise because we know our son.  We know his likes, and we know his dislikes, and he took every step in anticipation of what was before him.

Even though Charlie didn’t know where we were taking Him, he also knew he could trust us. I heard the quote recently “God doesn’t give us a spotlight, he gives us a lamp.” I will be honest that sometimes I can wish that God really did give me a spotlight instead of a lamp.

However, in Him giving us a lamp where we can only see one or two steps ahead, He also gives us the opportunity to put our trust in Him beyond what we can see.

God knows the desires of your heart, in fact He put them there. He remembers the promises He spoke to you, and He knows the uncertainty and fears that will invade the way. He knows that with every step you take in child-like faith and anticipation, you get closer and closer to what He has before you.

From My Heart to Yours…

So Beautiful One, remember that Jesus is the answer, love even when it is hard, and take every step knowing that you follow a good Father.

We would love to hear what your children have taught you about Jesus. Would you share a story with us?

What do your children teach you about Jesus? Jessica shares her answer here… Click To Tweet

Related Posts

  • When a New Year’s Resolution is Not Enough
  • The Unique Truth About God’s Grace
  • Christian Women You Can Relate To
  • Reconcile Like Jesus
  • Jesus and My Birthday Wish

About Jessica Schneider

Jessica has a deep love for Christ and a desire to follow where He may lead. She is a writer who desires for women to know that they are loved by a beautiful Creator, and in hopes to encourage women in their walks with Christ, she began blogging on her site The Path I Follow. Jessica currently lives in Norwalk, CT with her husband Mike, and two children, Charlie and Olivia. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, walks at the beach, helping with women’s ministry at her church, and relaxing on her parent’s boat. You can learn more about Jessica and read her weekly blog posts by visiting her website or Facebook page.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. JJ says

    January 9, 2019 at 2:46 pm

    It is so true our kids end up being our teachers. I have learned so much from my daughter. She just believes what Jesus says without all the noise of the adult life. I’ve also ;earned how patient God is with me and how easily I can approach Him.

    Reply
    • Jessica Schneider says

      January 10, 2019 at 6:16 pm

      She just believes. I wonder what it would look like if we all “just believed”. It would change the world….

      Reply
  2. Kristal Molina says

    January 9, 2019 at 7:44 pm

    This made me cry and I can relate on so many levels ( I have an almost 4 year old and a two year old.) Jesus is constantly teaching me stuff through them. I thoroughly enjoyed this post!

    Reply
    • Jessica Schneider says

      January 10, 2019 at 6:15 pm

      Charlie is 4 now, and my daughter just turned two in November. It is a constant learning of faith like a child…

      Reply
  3. Lo Tanner | Laced With Purpose says

    January 10, 2019 at 4:04 pm

    I did a video on this last year. My kids are forever reminding me that God has my best interest at heart just like I do theirs. And there’s no reason to nag! ? Seriously though I think about what I would do for my kids and knowing that God is infinitely more able than I am, and that he loves greater than I wver could, makes me feel so well taken care of.

    Reply
  4. Jessica Schneider says

    January 13, 2019 at 6:53 pm

    Hmm. That’s interesting. Because I just did a video on this like a month or two ago. Thanks for reading today!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Let's Get Candid

Let’s Connect

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

  • Love the Sinners
  • 6 Things to Consider When You Are at a Crossroad
  • Running Our Race
  • How Do You Embrace The Day?
  • Cast Your Care

Recent Videos

Weekly LinkUps

Salt and Light Grace and Truth

More Christian Link-Ups

Candid Conversations

Click here to find out more.

Our Most Popular Posts

  • 5 Verses to Help You Overcome Self-Pity
  • 5 Bible Verses for When You Feel Worthless
  • 3 Steps to Overcome Laziness
  • My (winning) Battle with Health Anxiety
  • Confessions of a Woman in Ministry

Support Our Ministry

Christian Books
Prayer Team
Visit Heather's Etsy Shop
Support Candidly Christian
Please note that CandidlyChristian.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.
Click here to find out more

Who’s Behind The Scenes?

Heather Hart
Candidly Christian was founded by Heather Hart; an internationally best-selling and award-winning author with a passion for the gospel of Jesus and a heart for women’s ministry. Her goal isn’t to teach women how they can do better, be better, or achieve perfection, it’s to point them to Jesus.

Click here to learn more about Heather Hart and the rest of the Candid Gals.

Posts by Author

Catherine Wilson
Heather Hart
Jaime Hampton
Mariel Davenport
Sarah J Callen
Sheila Schweiger-Rhodes
Sherry Chamblee
Stephanie M. Carter
Valerie Riese
See Your Name Here
Candid Guests

Our Favorite Planner

The Hope Planner
Affiliate Link

Candidly Christian Has Been Featured On…

Grace and Truth Link-Up Christian Blogger Directory

Top Christian Women Blog

© 2016–2022 | Privacy | Home

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT