Am I Fond of Them?

In Titus 2:4, we learn that older women are supposed to encourage the younger women to love their children. Isn't that weird? Why wouldn't they love their children?

I learn this morning that the admonition in this verse to love your children is about being fond of them, delighting in being with them, and enjoying them.

What does it mean to be "fond" of your children? I learn that it means to have a great affection and liking for them. It means to have a passion for and an inclination towards them.

Yes, it means to actually enjoy them. The etymology of fond means to be foolishly infatuated. It does! It really does!

Do you ever feel like this enjoyment gets lost somewhere in dishes and laundry, bills and scrubbing? Do you ever feel like you don't enjoy your own children because you have forgotten how?

I prayed that God would fill my heart with fondness for my children and that they would feel my fondness toward them. Why would I need to pray this? Well, my heart veers towards selfishness on the summer days when I'd rather drink coffee, write, and read a novel alone. Sometimes, I'd rather escape because I've spent so much time in meal preparation, cleaning, and housekeeping.

So I ask God to do this fondness thing in my heart.

Guess what? I found myself playing again. I found myself putting goggles on and exploring the depths with them. I found myself hiding and seeking and imagining I'd come upon foundling children who urgently needed strawberry pie and tickling.

And when I was alone reading my novel later, I threw it down and called out down the hall, "Where are you two? I want to be with you! What are we doing next?"

Oh, dear. I'm foolishly infatuated.