Last night our daughter was coughing really bad and my wife and I both knew we need to give her a breathing treatment...neither one of us wanted to stop 24 to do it but we needed to go help the kid have a good night of sleep. I ended up getting up, getting the machine, and holding it in place so she could breathe the medicine and not wake her up. Sitting there I was reminded that those of who are parented will DO anything for our kids when they need us. We are wired that way and it is important to be there and be active in our kids lives. I think sometimes we get caught in the trap of thinking DOING all this stuff with and for our kids is all they need. We get caught thinking accomplishing the DO LIST for our kids makes us the parents our kid needs. For some reason, I was reminded last night that our kids need us to BE and not just to DO. They need us to...
BE consistent (in our faith, our choices, our discipline)
BE hopeful (when problems arise in our family life)
BE patient (in a world that wants immediate gratification)
BE loving (as they watch how we treat others)
BE forgiving (as we model God's forgiveness to them when they make mistakes)
When we decide to BE ______(you insert the word) in front of our kids we allow them to see faith in action. Our kid's image of God is shaped by what we choose to BE not just by what we DO. Sure we know there is a link between what we do and what we believe but when we choose to live out significant virtues in front our our kid's we provide them anchors for what following Jesus looks like in the real world...at HOME, at SCHOOL, at WORK! Please continue to do amazing things with and for your kids but never forget to BE.
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