Our neighbors paid David to watch their cats while the mom and children were in the states and the pilot husband was in and out of town for about a month. David was pretty excited the longer they were gone because he was saving up for a fishing spear.
This week, the family came back, and David was paid. He is now the owner of a very large fishing spear, and he’s pretty excited to go fishing with his dad as soon as the ocean is calm enough.
As I chatted with my neighbor, I expressed my thankfulness that they gave him the opportunity to work for them. Truthfully, we would have watched the pets for free, and truthfully, they paid more than he would have asked for. But they gave him an opportunity to work, to grow in faithfulness, and to see the result of his labor. There’s a sense where they contributed to his development in a way that I can’t.
That’s where prayer comes in. I’m praying for the adults that my children come in contact with, that they will challenge them both practically and spiritually. I cannot meet every need of my children, and I’m grateful that God knows all the people that can supplement the things I am able to teach them. He knows the lessons that I’m not even aware they need! And I’m also praying that God would give us opportunities to invest in the lives of the teenagers and children around us, not just financially, but also with words and love.
How is God supplementing your parenting?
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