Setting the Example
If it weren’t for the train, and for my girls, I’d never visit the mall. I’d gone a good many years without stopping in the place, but now, it’s a go to for entertainment. The carousel, the cookie stand, the germ infested play ground, the fancy dress shop – the mall is a different place in the eyes of my children.
A magical one.
The raging winds had whipped up enough dirt in the West Texas sky to turn the white clouds brown and send half the town into the refuge of the mall. After a long wait, it was finally our turn to board. Claiming her favorite car, she stood from the back of the caboose and waved wildly at the crowd.
I watched her face, lit with joy, as her little arms worked overtime to greet strangers. “No one is waving at me, Mom.” It didn’t take long to realize her kindness was not only going unnoticed, it was being entirely ignored.
“Oh, I got one. One person waved!” She began counting the number of returned waves, but I began noticing the number of people who avoided returning the courteous gesture.
Adults, making eye contact with her, kept their hands at their sides. No smile. No head nod. Not even a lifting of the chin. Blank, cold, stares for the friendly little girl at the back of the train.
And their children followed suit.
“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 11:1
Paul wrote these words in his letter to the church at Corinth. To the group of believers who were working through some issues and needed guidance. And, having a vested interested in them, often seeing himself at their spiritual father, Paul felt a weight of responsibility.
If you’ve been a parent of a toddler, you know full and well that your children will imitate your words and actions. I hear myself through the mouths of my children, daily. And quite frankly, it’s humbling and very refining. They’ve developed many of my mannerisms, too, even down to copying my very moves.
Our children are watching us, parents. And not just a “I can see you” kind of watching. No, they’re studying us, learning from us, and they aren’t missing a beat.
We will not raise servants if we are not visibly serving.
We will not raise kind children if we are not being visibly kind.
We will not raise polite people if we are not being visibly polite.
And we will not raise respectful individuals if we are not being visibly respectful.
We cannot hope our children will somehow possess such traits that we, ourselves, are not willing to exercise.
And if you and I are not following a good example, then we are leading our little ones astray from the very source of any ounce of goodness.
God, himself.
Follow His lead, mommas. Read His word, know His heart, and then do what He says. And as you walk in the light of His truth, your children will be watching. Praying that they, too, will follow.
