Many of you have children (or grandchildren) home this summer. Which means no homework. No science projects. No reports. No tests. No packing lunches. No getting up at O’ dark hundred. All this brings to mind one word: Hallelujah!
But having kids underfoot all day can also be a bit draining. We become the teacher – full time. Which, of course, we are anyway. It’s just that summer time brings this fact a little bit more into focus.
Like any good teacher, we need a lesson plan. When my kids were young – and even now that they are teenagers and young adults – I used a verse about Jesus’ childhood to motivate and direct what I did with my kids.
“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52)
This verse provides a four fold track to run on. Did you notice the four ways Jesus grew? He grew in…
Wisdom
Stature
Favor with God
Favor with Man
These four components represents the ideal prototype of child development. A child needs to grow mentally (wisdom), physically (stature), spiritually (favor with God) and socially (favor with man).
Using these characteristics as a springboard I plan, pray and prepare my children’s activities (or lack of them) – both during the “off season” of summer and the “on season” of the school year. Taking each child individually I ask: in which area does this child need to grow? In what ways can I structure his or her activities to facilitate this growth?
One child might need to grow in wisdom, so a summer prep class, tutor or a summer job might be the solution. One child might might need to grow in stature so signing up for a sport or making healthier eating choices might be in order. One child might need to grow in favor with God, so consistent daily prayer for this child’s relationship with Christ and finding a good youth group may be the ticket. One child might need to grow in favor with man so helping him learn valuable friendship skills or monitoring the friends he has, may be the focus.
In all of this thinking and planning, though, don’t neglect three vital things that only a parent or grandparent can provide:
Love
Laughter
Prayer
Plan for your child’s growth then love your child while he’s getting there. Prepare for your child’s development but laugh along the way. And through it all, pray, pray pray.
Then stand back and watch as – over time- your child grows in wisdom, stature, favor with God and favor with man.
