This morning the rain stopped and the sun finally made an appearance. The kids got dressed, grabbed their new nature journals and out we went. There is nothing I love more than having the chance to explore and enjoy the outdoors with our children. There are so many things fighting for their attention. To be honest, there are so many things fighting for our attention too. I want our children to see the beauty in the world God created. To see the value of exploring and using their imaginations. I want them to be in awe, the same way I am when I see the world around me. I pray I can lead and nurture them to have a love and enjoyment for slower days. Agendas that are free from the hurried life this world tries to impress upon them.
I loved these words I read today from Heidi Steffen. I couldn’t agree more with her thoughts.
"We have all heard the famous words by Henry David Thoreau, “All good things are wild and free“. In preparing for homeschooling my children, who with each year are getting older and older, I stopped to really think about this quote.Childhood doesn’t last forever. In fact, it doesn’t last very long at all. And so many of our children are being robbed of a childhood that is wild and free.
I believe it is up to me, as the parent, to give my children a childhood that is free from the busyness and stress, free from the addiction to things and to technology. I am not saying here that we say no to it all. But I am saying that we, as parents, need to teach our children, need to guide our children in making good choices. We need to model good choices. As parents, we must remember that we are being watched with every choice we make. It is not what we say that matters to our children, but what we do.
In her book, The Best Yes, Lysa Terkeurst has said this, “The decisions you make determine the schedule you keep. The schedule you keep determines the life you live. And how you live your life determines how you spend your soul"
When our children are young, it is up to us as parents to mold them, to assist them in their choices, assist them in choosing their “Best Yes”. Habits are formed so early in life. I want to choose the “best yes” for my children while they are young so as they grow, they learn to choose the “best yes” for themselves. Often it isn’t so much saying no to technology but saying yes to being with our kids, saying yes to outside time, to reading, to games, to playing and spending time with family and friends. Because with every “yes” to technology, comes a “no” to something else; and usually that “something else” is so much better. For our family, it means limiting the stuff we buy, being choosy in how we fill our days and use technology. Is our family perfect in this? Absolutely not. But I know that I don’t have to make these often difficult decisions alone. God is right beside me, ready and willing to participate in those small day to day choices that we make, those small, seemingly insignificant choices, that end up adding up and shape us into who we are today. And He is ready and willing to forgive me when I fail. I’m so thankful for His grace. Every day affords an opportunity to start over. It is never to late when we have grace."