Have you taken a look at your kids lately? If you're like me - they are over 21, so "kids" is not exactly an appropriate label. progeny? offspring? descendants? Too cold. My two sons will always be my kids and I feel the same about their wives.
When kids are little, they tend to be clones of us ... thinking, feeling, knowing, believing only what we teach or show them. And this is the part I love ... as they become adults, I get to see the individuality in their talents, intellegence and beliefs. I got a chance to be reminded of that again this weekend at the LeadNow/Fusion conference in Dallas.
Our older son, Brian - the director of the RightNow Campaign - hosts these conferences to focus on issues to help 20/30-somethings to fuse faith and life together. Julie, his wife, is behind the scenes with hospitality. Scott, our younger son (Director of Operations at Bluefish TV), directs the event and his wife, Holley, is the stage manager. I won't go on about the event itself - click on that Leadnow/Fusion link above and see what all goes on - it's packed. I'm just going to speak as a mom.
I got to experience what we all should realize when our children become adults. They have thoughts, faith, talent, intelligence that exceed us. They are individuals beyond us and I celebrate that.
Going "to work" with my kids this weekend, I got to see Brian, speaking to thousands about his faith in God and his passion for the world and thriving on the relationships with the young people there. I got to see Julie's sweet nature - making sure all the speakers were taken care of and where they needed to be and working closely with Brian. I got to see Scott, multi-tasking by directing a live event, keeping all the media in order. And I got to see Holley - great at organizing - managing the speakers; everyone coming and going onstage and working with Scott, many times not even needing to be connected by headset, but working that well together. (This was a large team including Marc/Robin, Justin/Sharee, Lonnie, Felicity, and many other volunteers, staff and speakers, and I'm as proud of them as a mom could be.)
I am thankful that whatever torch Marty and I passed along, our kids took that and blew it out of the water (mixed metaphor - sorry). They have made their own lives with their wives and isn't that what we did? The decisions they make are not ours (hallelujah! when did we become perfect?) - some make us scratch our heads - and others make us smile with wonder. But it is the free will that God allowed us.
So, even if you have not had the privilege of going to work with your "kid," may you really take a look at them and appreciate all that is in them that is beyond you. Thank you, God.
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