Dreams for My Children

As the holidays approach, it’s sometimes easy to get consumed in the “busyness” and lose sight of what’s really important. We spend so much time preparing costumes, decorating the house, preparing big feasts, etc. I’m not saying it’s wrong to focus on holiday traditions.  In fact, family identity is often strengthened through traditions.  However, as with all things, we must keep a balanced perspective of what’s temporal and what’s eternal. This year, more than ever before, God has pressed firmly on my heart that the “here and now” is not our eternal home. This life is only temporary. The costumes, the decorations, the gifts, and the feasts will all fade away.  My child’s spirit will last forever.  I know that holiday traditions do play a role in building security in my child’s spirit…they help her to know she has a family full of love and laughter.  But does she also know about giving as much as receiving? Does she know about serving as much as being entertained?
I do not throw the best birthday or holiday parties. I do not know how to sew, so I don’t even try to make my children’s costumes. My cooking skill is only so-so, and I do not know many nursery rhymes.  I realized though that these things fall more into the “temporary” category. They are not bad things to focus on, but at the end of the day, I want to make sure I’ve spent more time and energy on eternal values. How did I help my child to experience God’s love today? How is she learning to demonstrate virtues such as self-control and kindness? How did I help her to cultivate healthy relationships? During the holiday seasons, I want our family traditions to look like this: we have fun going trick-or-treating, then the following weekend we always participate in the Be Her Freedom Run as a family. We enjoy a big feast with our extended families for Thanksgiving, and we visit the elderly people who do not have a family.  For Christmas, the children choose one item they received to give away to a child who didn’t receive any gifts.
My dream is that my children will become world-changers for God. My dream is that when they grow up, they will say, “My mother made our holidays fun, but more importantly, she paved a way for me to discover all that God has called me to be.” My dream is that they will impact their children’s lives for eternity.
Lord, help me to use every moment I have with them to make this dream into a reality.