The boy’s played their well-practiced piano pieces at the retirement home where Great Grandma is living. Thirteen students in all showed up to bless the residents with their music. We look forward to this time each year. The assistant director of activities pointed out to the boys, the pianos in the facility and said that at anytime they may play for Great Grandma and the other residents.

What a gift! And I’m not talking about the gift of music, nor am I speaking of the gift of playing for others. What a gift to have a way to bless others. Thank you Lord they can do something.

 ‘There is no someday you will’ in our family. It is ‘right now you can’. It is our job as parents to teach and help our children to develop skills right now, that they can use to benefit others. Children need to know they are useful, that they have something to offer. They need to know they can do something now, if they work hard, develop skills, pay attention to what is being taught and respect those that teach.

Yes, respect those that teach. How else can they benefit completely? Having the ‘greater than thou’ attitude only hinders their growth.

My boys can pick up a broom and sweep a floor without leaving a crumb. I say that not to be pride full, but to say even the most menial of tasks, when done correctly, can be a skill to bless others. And that is what we discuss as we train our children; a skill done to the best of your ability (with a good attitude) is a skill to bless others, to give back instead of just being a consumer, because life is not all about you.

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And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. Colossians 3:23

This is our purpose. It’s not about us, nor the other person really, but about glorifying our Creator in all we do. Because what happens when we ask our children to do something for someone they don’t care for, or a chore that they don’t ‘want’ to do? Their life, our life would be meaningless, without a reason to work, without the belief that what they do matters beyond the greater good of man kind. Because often we do thankless jobs. We work, and do things no one sees or notices. Just doing it because it’s the right thing to do, can only get one so far.

The beauty is we work and we ask our children to work for the One we serve. Our reason, our purpose. 

Mike and his Grandma

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hands that serve God, not men