A Pfennig for Your Thoughts

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

DEUTERONOMY 6:4

The shelf above my computer is filled with photos of my husband, kids, grandkids, and deceased pets (including Keith, the county fair–won goldfish that lived to the ripe old age of 11). And the wall behind the pictures is papered with dozens of old saws, adages, parables, and proverbs.

The two I quote most often are, “Do or do not; there is no try” and “Good enough never is.” (Just ask my kids!) The message is threefold:

Commitment ignites action; your word is your bond; practice your beliefs consistently.

“Stand for something,” I’ve said a hundred times if I’ve said it once, “or you’ll fall for anything.” After speeches like that, my kids had every right to expect that, as their mother, I would set a proper example. Self-confidence, integrity, a willingness to dig in and perform the same jobs I’d asked them to do was, of course, important. But so was supporting them—especially when “slipshod” seemed to be their modus operandi—and giving them a chance to prove that maybe, just maybe, they really could find faster, easier, more effective ways of getting things accomplished.

I’m reasonably certain that long before Ferdinand Porsche built his first automobile, his mama bounced her fair share of pfennigs off his blankets, which no doubt led to his success. (Remember the now-clichéd response he gave the reporter who asked which was his favorite Porsche? “Why, I haven’t built it yet!”)

And how could I expect my girls to improve in mind, body, and spirit if they didn’t see improvements in me too? Seeking a better, easier way of doing things, in my honest opinion, proves personal growth. Equally important? A willingness to take a risk now and then, instead of merely insisting that things get done my way.

Motivating our kids to do the right thing isn’t easy, particularly when we’re asking them to perform difficult or boring tasks. But as Epicurus taught his young’uns way back when, “A captain earns his reputation during storms.” We all want smooth-sailing in our children’s future, so why not test their navigation skills while they’re still in the boat with us, rather than let them flounder all alone on life’s turbulent seas?

Our Father promised always to be there, lifeline at the ready, any time we need Him. If we add “faith in Him” to the lessons we teach our children, they’ll have the strength to stand up against those who’d try to steer them off course. If they learn to rely on God with every cell He set pulsing inside them, they’ll recognize the grace that can be theirs just by asking for it.

And you know, I can’t think of any greater gift to give them than that! Loree

Today’s Prayer

To You, Father, belongs eternal praise. Grace me with understanding so that my words and actions will bring glory to Your most holy name. Bless me with the wisdom and knowledge I’ll need to teach these things to my children, who will teach their children, so that Your loving grace will beat in their hearts down through the generations until we gather together with You in paradise. Amen.