Passing it On

In an attempt to make today less crazy I started making bread yesterday for this afternoon's market. As I was standing in the kitchen and kneading the dough, Emily was watching me for a few minutes. She said, "I like when you do these things because you are so cute." "Cute?," was my response. "Yes, it's old-fashioned!" lol

She went on to say, "This is never going to be 'my thing!'" My response to her was that it wasn't my thing either when I was her age. It was only after I got married and had children that I developed an interest in any of these domestic pursuits.

This conversation got my mind wandering down a line of thought about passing things on to our children. I think so much of what they learn comes through watching us throughout the years more than what we intentionally try to teach them. My hope is that my children have learned some good character traits by seeing us live them out year after year.

On the flip side of that, they can also learn some bad habits by watching us too. When I see my kids "freak out" when things go awry I wonder how much of that was modeled by me? And I don't have to wonder too much because I know that I haven't and still don't always respond correctly to bumps in the road. And that causes me to repent before the Lord for all those times that I really didn't handle things well.

I also know that my children have seen me ask for forgiveness, desire to follow where God leads, and have a teachable spirit and those are the qualities I want to rub off on them. I am confident that the Lord who began a good work in them will carry it on to its completion (Philippians 1:6)! 

Like a rose that slowly opens to reveal it's full blossom, my children will mature and grow and I pray, become more like Christ, just as I want to be more like Him. And who knows. Maybe someday Emily will even learn to love bread-making! ;-)