What Future Am I Providing For My Family?

Well, I have to admit that it was pretty exciting to have my daughter share with us on the blog yesterday.  I mentioned to Jamie that as I typed the intro to her post, that my memory was flooded with examples of all the stories, plays, skits, and the intricate book that she had written over the years.  She was instrumental in starting and directing the youth drama team that we had at our church a few years back.  She wrote many of the skits, and/or edited them to fit the player’s levels of expertise, and to best suit the audience that would be watching their various performances.

How did she begin to explore and then develop these talents?  I’m sure that it all began from observing her mother and I as we ministered through song and drama in the churches we attended.  It all started for us after my wife and I had been dating for a year or so and were very active in the Baptist church that I mentioned last week.  I had the inspiration to write and direct an original Rock Opera at that time in the early ‘70’s.  If you’re old enough to remember back that far… Christian Rock Operas were the new and coming thing!  (Do you recall Jesus Christ Superstar?)  It was surprising that we practically filled that church auditorium at both performances.  (If I’m not mistaken, it sat around 300…)  It’s kind of funny looking back at it now, but when we played the theme song for our church congregation as a promo for the upcoming event, some members of the congregation actually walked out because they had never had a drum set or electric guitar in their services before!

In the years following, we have written and performed numerous original children’s and youth plays, skits, songs, and other programs of which our kids helped with as stage hands, actors, writers and musicians.  So, you see, they never had a chance but to develop some skills and derive pleasure from these activities.  (Our youngest son is currently on the drama team at his Bible School!)

Now, I am saying all this not to brag but to prove a point.  Our kids are watching everything that we do, that’s how they learn.  Jesus Himself said: “What I am saying is what I have seen in my Fathers presence…”  (John 8:38 Gods Word©) They pick up both the positive and the negative attributes that we display.  As with Jamie, I can see reflections of me in all of my kids.  Some are great like Jamie’s writings, some are not so terrific and are areas that I didn’t handle so well and now some of my kids are dealing with the same issues.  

So what exactly is my point?  I am suggesting that we all take a good look at ourselves in our day to day life.  What does your family and those that regularly come in contact with you see in you.  Is it something that you want carried on in your family’s heritage, or should it be stopped at this point in your family tree?  I know that there are definitely some things that I wish I could have done differently when my kids were growing up, but then I realize that the past is over and that the only thing that I can now change is the present and the future.  How does your future look?  What would you like to see your kids emulating in their adult years?  Take a self inventory and make the decision to begin the necessary changes in order to provide the best future that you can for your family.  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself…”What am I expecting today?”