students who teach.

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One of my most-repeated conversations has to be the one about the kids’ dynamics. What is it like being a stepmom? Do all of the kids get along? Are the big boys helpful or resentful? All are good questions. All are questions I’ve asked myself before. The answers are ones for which I am eternally grateful.

I loved the big boys first. Before I ever knew my biological children, those boys taught me who I am. I owe them a world of thanks for the gift they’ve given me, and they owe me a world of grace for the mistakes I’ve made in learning to be a mom. So that’s a little of what being a stepmom is like.

My children get along so well that they can’t stand to be apart from one another. They drift from room to room, craving each other’s attention and body heat. They’d rather fight with each other than play alone. They help each other down the stairs and into car seats and out of bed. They serve each other cups of water and bowls of snacks. They watch television shows years above and beneath their level of understanding, for the sake of spending time on the couch together.

The other day I heard Ames say to Isaiah Jane, “What are you doing little girl? You’re so pretty.” He was using his Lucas voice, repeating words he’d heard Lucas say. That’s the sort of dynamic I get to watch every day. Instead of resenting one another’s needs, they simply meet them. They love each other well, and they minister to their dad & I by doing so.

What an honor it is, to learn the gospel from your own kids.