Ecclesiastes 9:10
For the past couple of weeks Matthew, our 7 year old, and I have been working on a pinewood derby car for a big race this weekend. We finally have the finished product: a bold gold race car, with blue metallic accessories, and lots and lots of decals. We had a blast planning and creating this work of art but it wasn’t without its challenges. We had to contend with dad’s lack of skill in the wood shop, a 7 year olds attention span, and countless trips back to the hobby shop to pick up things we forget (or broke) along the way. So with the fun of making a memory with my son, came some challenges along the way.
What did I learn? I’m glad you asked…
- Take extra time. You can’t rush memories. You can’t microwave real life. Some things with our families take time. Don’t rush. Pray for patience, relax, and enjoy the experience. Our families will produce a lifetime of memories. The question is will they be good ones or bad?
- Enjoy the challenges. Anything worth doing in life comes with challenges. Expect them, analyze them, pray about them, and with God’s help solve them.
- Learn about your child. I learned Matthew loves to play. Whether it was with the piles of saw dust, the spray paint, or playing tag or hide-n-seek while waiting for paint or glue to dry, my time playing with Matthew was just as important as the task at hand.
(I’m looking forward to sharing where we are and where we’re headed as a church family on Vision Weekend next Saturday and Sunday!)
