What I already knew...

So this is the day of the week that I would normally launch into another, “What I wish somebody would have told me BEFORE I became a PW”… But today, I’m going to share something that I actually did know BEFORE I became a PW.

When I was a kid, growing up in a pastor’s home, we had these great big picture windows in our living & dining rooms. It was almost comical how people seemed to slow down & peek in the windows during the day. We jokingly called it ‘the glass house’. But each evening after we had finished supper, my mom would draw the curtains on those big windows.  It created something almost like a cocoon. It was as if when those curtains closed, our home became a cozy, safe place where no one but us could see.

Many ministry families talk about this glass house or fishbowl effect. Yesterday, I talked a little about how careful we are to guard our family time. Here are a few other ways we’ve committed to nurture our children at home. 

Level the expectations – We do our best to hold our kids to Biblical standards but aren’t the slightest bit surprised when they are not perfect. They do after all, belong to us.

Let them be kids – We don’t expect them to care as much about ministry as we do. They’ve actually taught US that ministry can happen in the simple moments… shooting hoops in our driveway or playing cards around our kitchen table. 

Live what we preach – We strive always to live with authenticity. We know that their primary concept of ministry is us. This is heavy people. Seriously.

Protect our time at home – When we are home… we are home. The time between 3:30 & 7pm has always been our family time. This is when we our phones roll over to voicemail. Our kids need to know that we value our time with them, more than our time with others.

Give them roles they desire – Our boys attended youth group, went on missions trips, served in the kitchen, set up tables, worked with children & preschoolers & volunteered outside the church in their community. Our daughter is following in their footsteps. Here’s the thing though, we were careful not to force it. We didn’t expect them to be at church every time the doors were open. Instead, we created opportunities for them to serve in many different ways. It’s awesome to see them begin to serve where they are naturally gifted. 

Listen, we are not perfect parents. Not by a long shot. & we know that while we work really hard to minimize the ‘fishbowl’ effect, we also know that we can’t protect them from everything or everyone.  It is our prayer that our kids experience church in such a way that they will see that all the beautiful, amazing things that God is doing through His people far outweighs the tough stuff they experience as a PK.