One More Thing: Truths I Want My Kids to Know Before They Launch

It’s inevitable. Whether your kids are babies or teenagers, they will be ready to launch soon. You see, “soon” is a relevant word. Even though the days may seem long, the years go by so very quickly. In the blink of an eye, your toddler will be wearing a graduation cap and gown and will be ready to fly. There’s no reason to deny the fact. You can push it out of your mind, but the truth is that time keeps marching on.

So what does that mean for us as parents? It means that we have a limited time to communicate to our kiddos what we think are the most important things. What are the things we want our kids to take with them when they launch?

 

At Harmony Farms, our final launch has already taken place. It definitely was not an easy task, but I do believe that there are some things made it easier to accomplish. One important thing that has helped me feel more comfortable with the launch process is the fact that we have communicated some very important truths that we want our sons to know. We began to communicate these truths to our sons early in their lives and continued to communicate them as much as we could through authentic conversations and actions.

But here’s the good news. If you think that you somehow missed some great opportunities to communicate important truths to your kids along the way, it’s never too late to go ahead and start now. Use words. Use actions. But start today to communicate what you deem to be the most important things in life.

Reflecting on our most recent launching days, I am going to share with you what I want our guys to know above everything else.

To our sons:

God is the most important. Give him your time.

God is a being that desires a deep relationship with you. He longs to spend time with you without distraction. Life goes by in a blur, filled with too many commitments and so many opportunities. But the most important opportunity is spending time learning who God really is, talking to him, and listening to him.

I started making time with God a priority way too late in life. And that makes me sad. I have missed out on knowing God’s nature in some of my most formative years. But God is faithful. No matter when you decide to give him priority, he is ready and willing to meet you there. I hope you will learn from my mistake and meet up with Him sooner rather than later.

God is faithful. Imitate him.

God will never leave you. Others may come and go, but that is not God’s nature. People you know will disappoint you. You may even feel alone at times. But the truth is that God will never leave you alone.

It will be tempting to follow the course of culture and check out when life gets difficult. But push through that and look at what God would do. Stay. Engage. Give. Then do it again. You and those around you will benefit greatly when you imitate the faithfulness of God.

Love your wife/future wife in every way you can dream up.

The first thing to remember when loving your wife is to say it. Tell her you love her often. Then, show her. This is where you can get creative. Some people think showing love is best done with expensive gifts. Gifts are good, but consistency is best. If you don’t have the money for purchased gifts, make something. Make a card or write a letter telling her why you love her. Do a chore that you know your wife hates to do. Speak affirming words about her to others.

Get creative. There are thousands of ways to love your wife. When you show her your love, you are giving her the gift of faithfulness that you learned from God himself.

Find a community of believers to do life with.

Loving God and spending time with him is important, but adding a group of people to your life with similar beliefs is what may keep you going when you can’t figure out life on your own. Life can get sticky and even scary at times. Those seasons will come when you may be ready to throw in the towel. You may question your faith and your beliefs that you have always held close. Your community of faith will hold you up and keep you going.

You know that we have had to rely on these people in our lives when we were thrown a few curve balls. You witnessed how the people in our faith community rallied around us when we couldn’t handle life on our own. When you get to those rough spots in life, remember you can have that, too.

Serve other people.

When you are caught up in the rat race of life, remember to look beyond yourself and find someone to serve. This starts with your family. If they are overlooked, your service to the outside world may cause a strain on your most important relationships. You may want to seek ways to serve those in your church family who need what you can offer. Or maybe complete strangers get your extra time and energy.

Whoever you choose to serve will be blessed and you will be putting behind you the urge to think only of yourself. Look out for the underdog. You may be their only link to help.

Be your authentic self.

Culture tricks us into thinking we should behave or think a certain way about an issue. Friends and family may try to push you in a direction you do not want to go. Be strong enough to make decisions based on what you feel is the best path for you.

When you seek to please others with your life, you may be taking a long road to nowhere. Seek God’s advice on your path. He knows you better than anyone else.

Enjoy your journey.

As you start on your journey, you may be tempted to segment your life into accomplishment. When I finish _______________, then I will… Sadly, this leads to a long list of trudging through tasks that get you to your destination. But you find when you get there, there are more tasks. So you keep going, completing those tasks, and the cycle continues.

You can’t get away from everyday tasks, whether at work or at home. However, your mindset as you are moving forward can help you enjoy the journey. Instead of completing a checklist, decide how the process of completing the tasks, not just the end result, brings you joy.

 

These truths that I want to pass down to my kids will have to be internalized and tested. But that’s ok. The important thing is that the truths are communicated. And when they are, it’s time to launch!

What truths do you want your kids to know before they launch?

Make a list today. Even if your kids are young. You may edit the list along the way, but you can begin to communicate your list of truths starting today.

 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, remembering that as members of the same body you are called to live in harmony, and never forget to be thankful for what God has done for you.

Colossians 3:15