Summer is a busy season for families.
School is out and everyone is scurrying around busy with activities. It is fun
to take your kids to amusement parks, summer camps and Vacation Bible School.
But if we’re not careful, we’re going to be busy all summer and not have much
substance to our family time.
When you spend time with your family,
don’t pack your schedule with activities and fun things to do. Take time also to just hang out and talk
about deeper things in life. If your kids are young, ask them about their
life in school. Get caught up with their hobbies and interest. Ask them spiritual questions. Take them
to Christian worship concerts. Provoke them to talk about God and their
relationship with Him. Kids don’t just
need your time; they need your wisdom and guidance.
Yesterday, I was trying to concentrate
on my work. It was getting late and I wanted to finish off a project in my
office. My kids are in summer camp right now and they came home exhausted. I
wanted to connect with them but I had just a little bit of work left when my
oldest daughter Cassandra walked into my office. I turned away from my computer
and looked at her. She’s going to be sixteen on the 5th of July. I
didn’t think it was the best time but she sat on my lap and started to tell me
about her day. At first, I was thinking, “Can
we do this after an hour, after I’d finished my project?” Thankfully I
didn’t say anything and let her continue with her conversation. Later I realized
how important that conversation was for her. I’ll have projects to finish the
rest of my life but I may not have my teenage daughter sit on my lap and tell
me about her day. Parents, I want to encourage you to take time to listen. If you’re like me, I have a lot to tell my
kids. But boy do they like it when they get to talk! If we don’t take time to talk to our kids, someone else will.
I was visiting with a friend and she
was telling me how they’d made summer plans for their kids. They’re going to take
a road trip and visit their grandparents and so on. I commended her for taking
time out as a family. I asked her what was their plan to spend a little time as
a couple? She didn’t have anything concrete. I encouraged her to set aside a
few days just with her husband. They live a busy life and with kids they don’t
get a lot of adult time together. If you
want a healthy family, you have to take time out with your spouse to connect. It
doesn’t have to be Hawaii or an expensive vacation in Cancun but even a couple
of nights away from your home will do wonders to your relationship. When kids see their parents secure in the
relationship, they too feel confident and will do better in life.
I was talking to another friend and he
was saying how his grandkid was coming to spend some time with them. They have
a difficult situation and the child’s father is not available for him. I told
my friend how important of a role he is playing in this young man’s life. The child
doesn’t have a fatherly figure to look up to. My friend can be the father
figure to this troubled kid. This is extremely important for children. If you are a grandparent, take you job
seriously. You can have profound impact on these young lives forever. Timothy
in the Bible had an experience like that. Lois his grandmother taught Him about
the Lord and Timothy went on to become Paul’s favorite son in the faith and
disciple. Grandparents, uncles and aunts,
you too can make an eternal impact on your family members.
Friend, make time for your family.
Your work, business, church and business will be there but the people you love
and do all this for may not. Don’t wait
for the grand holidays. Enjoy the everyday miracles that present itself along
the way as with my daughter today. Create the magic moments by hanging out
together. Quality time always comes out
of quantity time.
Last but not the least, if you know a
single mom who doesn’t have a summer plan, invited them to tag along. Let them
join you at the pool or the amusement center. Offer to take the kids to VBS. What you make happen for others, God will make happen for you. Make time for your family. At the end
of your days you’ll realize that the little things in life were the big things.
“If anyone doesn't take care of his own
relatives, especially his immediate family, he has denied the Christian faith
and is worse than an unbeliever” (I Timothy 5:8 God’s Word).
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