Raising Godly Gentlemen...
If you are following this blog, you are aware that I am writing about my son's high school senior year and all of the sappy senior mama moments that I am experiencing along with it...this is going to include some of that, but it is going to also contain content that is so important to us as parents...raising Godly gentlemen.
This past week was Nathan's last high school homecoming parade, pep rally, football game and homecoming dance. After the parade my sister turned to me and she said "You weren't ready for this to be over, where you?" No, no I was not. I took a deep breath and had a flashback of the last four parades that ended in this very place full of memories for us! I smiled.
Then the pep rally happened, the football game happened, and then the last homecoming dance happened...
And just like that...it was over!
It all happened and left me with some serious sappy senior mama moments and some incredible memories of my boy smiling, enjoying his glory days as a Pirate proudly wearing that #56!
Here is a re-cap: Nathan had a blast at the parade throwing candy and such to the crowds, escorting homecoming maids and cheering his senior class on as the class competition was in full force. He was full of school spirit for the pep rally and looked GQ in his suit for the dance. He had some incredible plays at the game, leading his team on offense at center, playing defense, both sides of the game until the clock ran out leaving his team with a win...it was a great week to be a Pirate!
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| Photo Credit: Dwayne Bremer |
As I watched him prepare for his final homecoming dance, he wanted his date to feel special and safe, and know that she would be taken care of. He wanted to open her door, pull out her chair and give her a gift that she would treasure. These things, we did not teach him overnight, nor did we give him a rule book the day of the dance...these things have been carefully woven into his heart for all of his life...these principles of treating a lady with great respect and honor...
As parents of boys, we take seriously the charge to raise Godly gentlemen...we take seriously the opportunity to invest the time to teach them the proper way to treat a lady...and consistency is so important.
From the time that my boys could open doors, I would walk behind them and whisper "be a gentleman" every time we walked into a restaurant, a store or anywhere that they could open the door for a lady...they would hear that mama whisper. One day, I realized, I didn't have to whisper that anymore...they were doing it on their own.
Little things...little things like that are important...if you do little things like that out of habit, they become a foundation for the bigger things...
As I look around today, I am sad to see so many girls that do not believe they are worthy of being treated like a lady. To young girls everywhere, please do not discount the treasure that you are! Please do not discount the blessing you will be to a Godly man that has waited his whole life to treat you as such. Please know you are worth the wait!
As a mama to boys, I want to see them continue to be Godly gentlemen in today's world...I believe that is what is missing so much today! When a girl feels valued and treasured, she will understand the gift that she is to someone and she will feel worthy of that respect and honor. That alone would change the face of social media as we know it today. Truth.
Nathan got his sweet date a bracelet that says "God is within her. She will not fail." Psalm 46:5
He wanted her to have something tangible to remind her that she is special, she is fearfully and wonderfully made...And as I was thinking about that message, I became broken hearted for the many young girls that don't feel valued, treasured and worthy...I wish all young girls and ladies could have this message engraved on the walls of their hearts.
I know that my commission as a mother is to keep pouring that into the hearts of our boys...the amount of time we have poured into teaching them this principle has been worth every single second! Even the times they didn't hear the "whisper" and the door slammed in my face! (LOL! True story!) Believe me, it has been exhausting! But after seeing Nathan inserting all of these principles into his life as he is preparing for his next chapter of life, the reward for my mama heart is great! I know he values this and will continue to follow suit all of the days of his life, passing it onto his children as well.
And as for our little Will...he makes me laugh! He takes it to a whole new level! When we leave the Dollar Store, he will stand at the door for an additional twenty people to come out! LOL! Then he looks at me and smiles! Yes folks, he knows it! He gets it!
The bottom line to this whole post is that it is really important how we teach our children to treat others...and it is also important that we teach our children how to be a recipient of self worth and value. It is here the line can be drawn between a gentleman and a boy, a girl and a young lady.
If we want our girls to become young ladies and our boys to become gentlemen, we must teach them how to do so. Boys don't have a built in device that teaches them such...I would have purchased it a long time ago if so! But I do know that once a girl feels like a young lady and is treated as such, she will know the difference! And that difference could be life changing!
The future is in the lives of our children and what we teach them. How our kids treat others matters just as self worth matters! Somewhere in that last statement defines the very existence of the reason I am here today writing this...
As Nathan approaches the next season in his life, I can say with confidence, he is a Godly gentleman...and I am grateful for that more than anything! So, as sad as I was to see all of the "lasts" with homecoming, I was thrilled to see the young man that he has become when I was reflecting upon it all...
In the most unexpected way it rendered me a peace that I didn't know I needed...in that moment, I realized the years of "training" for Nathan were over...and that is where it got real for me...I got sad for a minute but that is when the peace kicked in...almost like I could take a deep breath, calmly and confidently aware that he had "gotten it!" I would never again have to whisper those words behind his back...(big mama sigh) The training wheels are off...and I let go...
I won't lie...it also gave me a great big grin to remember all of the times the door has been slammed in my face!
I won't lie...it also gave me a great big grin to remember all of the times the door has been slammed in my face!
I'll close with a few words of wisdom to all fellow boy mamas that intend to teach your boys to open the doors for ladies...don't whisper!
Signing Off,
Sappy Senior Mama
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