Aren't you sick of youth sports? Day in and day out? Why do we surrender ourselves to year round schedules and practices? And for what? For a scholarship that only 1 in 200 will ever achieve? Or do you suppose youth sports is one of the few forums in society where adults will invest hours and hours of time in children who are not their own? Coaches, soccer moms, booster club members and on and on. Each one effectively, or even ineffectively, saying, "You are important."Personally, I like sports, but I think its all a bit much. But I do like the idea that countless parents will line up to say, "I will help. I will get involved. I will cheer. I will affirm." We can hardly fault children, or even their parents, if sports are one of the only forums where children are affirmed and encouraged.
But maybe you object? Good for you! Tell me I am wrong. Tell me you are a child champion. And tell me your church, school, and neighborhood is Child Friendly. Tell me that YOU are Child Friendly. Where do you affirm children? Where do you go out of your way to say
- "This is a child friendly place?"
- "This is a child zone!"
- "We affirm children here."
- "We invest in children here."
- "We spend time, effort, and money on children here!"
Here's the mountain man challenge: Every child is your child. You see a child, he belongs to you. Do you go to Church? What was the last sermon about? The last Bible Study? The last devotion? Some goofy notion that we are going to save the world? Go to Africa or Brazil? Start a prison ministry? Work at a homeless shelter? Forget it. At least for now. Instead: Make every child in your Sunday School, or church, or school, or neighborhood YOUR focus of affirmation and encouragment. Forget what others are doing or not doing. Forget your pastor. Forget the youth director and the Sunday School. Forget the church day school. You make the difference. You do something. You make a child the center of your life and affirmation.
Or sign the kids up for another 12 month season of soccer ....
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4 comments:
I got to drive the bus yesterday for our summer care program. We went to Bass Pro and watched the fish being feed and later in the day to the Springfield History museum. I was so impressed by the attitude and behavior of our children. They listened, they participated and they cared for one another. Mr. Gerdes did a great job. Way to good summer kids and leaders.
You can never tire of children's sports, scouts, music lessons and the list goes on. Not only does the list go on but so does time and it goes quickly. How can one tire of your child taking advantage and having the advantage of the right path? How can on tire of the advantage of cheering and arrirming your child? How can one tire of the opportunity to teach a child to do there best and have that positive mental attitude? In the year 2000 I won the bleacher seat award. It's no Olympic Medal but it is an award I'm proud of. Keep these children on the right path, cheer them on, and stay with them. They will remember and the rewards are priceless. The rewards are better than the "Bleacher Seat Award"!
I am the mother of 5, grandmother of 10. I've lost track of the number of events I've attended: soccer games all the way from 3 year olds to experienced college students; baseball, footfall; wrestling; weight lifting; track meets; swimming meets; concerts; musicals; pageants--you name it, I've been there. I go to everything I'm invited to attend. I may get a bit weary. I may get a little stiff before the event is over. But I NEVER tire of the proud look on one of my little ones when they look around to see if I saw them. (Hey, look at me!"
To me there's nothig more important than building up a child. There was a very shy young girl in our church. Her folks had a very hard time getting her out of her shell. She was taking ballet lessons and how they talked her into doing an interpretive dance to Silent Night, I'll never know. She was just lovely. The women in a Bible Study each wrote her a note telling her how much they enjoyed her presentation.
Her mother told me later the girl acted like someone had given her the crown jewels of England.
You cannot go wrong by thanking a child, telling them how much you enjoy what they did and so forth.
Oh, by the way, Auntie M should take one of those cushions with a back on it. Really helps. :)
Mawzy, I feel a bit like one of your own "cubbies." Thanks for the "late nights" (early mornings?)with me, a cup of coffee, or something to ponder and consider! You join the race, you lighten the load, you help others to the top! I am with you: You cannot over love, affirm, encourage a child. I LOVED the story about the young girl. What is most wonderful is that some churches might be tempted to "struggle" with the dance in church...your church instad found a way for her to "fit in" and then affirmed her for it! Dance on!! Your climbing partner, Jeff
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