Today I had a talk with the three girls who live with us. We had gotten a letter from Gaga this week, when she had finished her practicum for her midwifery course. We have paid her way to finish up her schooling, and have helped her in different ways over the years. She was very grateful, but kept saying she didn't know how she could repay us... I know Caryl and Marylan feel a sense of indebtedness to us as well, and Filipino culture demands that a debt of gratitude be remembered forever and be repayed in some way.
I told the girls that we had had seven children, even though having a large family was unpopular, and people said we were kind of crazy, and raising children was so expensive, etc. But we decided to invest in people, and by so doing, invest in the future of the world and society. We hoped and prayed that our family and our children would be used of God to make a difference, an impact on the world, and we believe that God is doing that through them. I told them that, just as I had advised them to look for 'potential' in a future mate (look for a seedling that would grow to be a good and fruitful tree), we saw potential in them. We have invested in their lives in the hope that they will be able to show the world how good God is, and what His kind of joy and peace look like. We do not want them to try to repay us by doing things for us or taking care of us in our old age (though we will enjoy continued involvement in their lives). We do not have a plan for their lives that we are obligating them to follow with our investment. No. We want them to follow God's will for their lives, and obey Him. We hope that they will prayerfully seek His plan for thier lives, and we will rejoice in it, whatever it is. If their debt to us comes into play at all, it would be at the point where they are thinking of choosing a path that they know to be contrary to the will of God. Then they should think of our investment in their lives, and hopefully that will make it easier for them to choose the path that leads to real peace and joy.
All three were pleased and blessed knowing how things stand. I think they all had wondered how to respond to what we have given them. All three already want to do God's will and are making wise choices, so they were thrilled to know that what we want is what they know to be the very best thing for them and their future. It will be interesting to see who the Lord sends to us when these three girls move on into the next phase of their lives... what a joy to be a part of what God is doing in these lives!
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5 comments:
i can understand their sense of indebtedness. It's something I feel almost lacking in western culture where it's "take what you can". (c: But indebtedness can certainly be a horrible pressure to be under, and I'm glad you were able to lift that away from the girls as you did. Wala nay utang kabubuton?
Naa pa, apan hinaut dili bug-at. I agree that a degree of indebtedness is a good thing, but I am hoping that this healthy, appropriate indebtedness will help lead them to freely love and serve the Lord. I appreciate your comment!
It is probably a relief for the ladies to know what it is exactly that you hope for in return for what you have invested in them. I am sure they are happy to try to make you feel like you made a good investment!
I loved this post. Reminds me why my girls snatched up a couple of those Shackelford boys! Hope you guys are doing well! You're in our prayers.
I appreciated your sharing this a lot. It's a reminder that we can do good things, but if we never take the time to explain our motives and expectations, we may plan unintended seeds.
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