When a potter sees a lump of clay, he sees not what is before him, but what it can become.
I think this is how parents should see their children, too. Of course, there are the moment-by-moment, day-to-day observations. But what about the tomorrows that are five years or 20 years down the road of life? Do you have a mental picture of what could be?
We need to envision more than what is there before us. Of course, enjoy every developmental stage and success, one step at a time. Children need cheerleaders when they dare to try something new--like riding a bike without training wheels. Wild whoops and hollers, applause, hugs and pats on the back signals instant approval, validation and pride in their new accomplishments, which in turn grows more bravery into children who will want to tackle the next new thing.
So have vision for your child and expect great things! And along the way, be sure to be realistic and patient. Let me start off by saying that there are countless things we can brag on about our three children. We are so button-busting proud of them and who they have become. This is but one short example:
Our oldest son was a keen observer of people, even as a toddler. His discernment first showed when he clung to his dad, screaming, as a clown tried to engage him with balloons. Let's just say there was good reason to not want to be close to this person. Then there is his sense of duty. As an older child he loved to play "Navy Seal" with his best buddy. They called it that because they were crawling on their bellies, climbing fences and jumping off rooftops (yeah, he didn't tell me that part for several years!) to make daring rescues.
In high school he played four years of football. He loved it. I would chuckle to myself that, of course he's playing football--it's just more of his childhood 'Navy Seal' kind of playing. As mom, I tried to be supportive, making sure he always had Gatorade in his backpack for after school practices. I lovingly scrubbed out all the dirt, blood and grass stains from his uniform (I can STILL remember the smell--ugh!) and cheered wildly from the stands at each and every game--rain or shine! I tried to make sure he was eating enough carbs. I couldn't help but envision him playing on in college and then professionally. I saw him as a leader.
He became a co-captain in his senior year. His coaches saw his leadership qualities shine as he encouraged his teammates during practices and games and never quitting when it got tough during drills. At the football banquet that year he was awarded the Golden Helmet Award, given to the one player who exhibited the highest marks of leadership and sportsmanship, both on and off the field. And, wouldn't you know, by then he had become more interested in playing guitar, writing songs and leading worship for our church youth group. He was beginning to be asked by others to lead worship. I remember watching him lead worship in a park for a city-wide prayer gathering. I was so proud of him as I watched a couple hundred people sing with him. I was seeing him become a leader apart from the gridiron. I knew he was the kind of leader people could follow. I envisioned him as President of the United States or a well-known worship leader and songwriter. Guess what he's doing now? My "Navy Seal" boy is serving as a police officer and detective.
Through life experiences, God creatively shaped and fashioned our son into the man he is today. As parents, we partnered with God in this process of raising our son through observation, training and prayer. We envisioned the kind of man he might become and then spoke into him as a child all the things we thought would help him along the way.
If you are a parent, are you seeing more than what's there in front of you? Can you envision what isn't there, yet? You are shaping the clay. What are you making?
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