What’s Most Important?
When I’m on the road Brandi always does a great job of sending little texts and pictures that really help me stay connected to the family.
The other day she sent me this:
It’s a note from Jett’s teacher on his 9 week report card that says:
“Jett has been an incredible help to his seat partner, Griffin. He is caring, compassionate, patient, and helpful. All wonderful characteristics, which will serve him well in life.”
I was happy his grades were good, but that’s not what’s most important to me.
I’m not concerned about them getting a high paying job one day.
I’m not worried about them keeping up with the latest trends in fashion.
I’m okay if they never make an all star team.
What I want more than anything is for my boys to receive the love of Jesus Christ and then become a mirror that reflects that love to the hurting world around them.
That’s what I’m praying for them each and every day of their life.
My kids aren’t perfect. Not even close.
But little notes like this go a long way. So excited to know my boys are loving “Jesus style” even when I’m not around.
How about you? Have you decided what’s most important to you in parenting?
My parents were this way with me too. I think loving me and teaching me to be like Jesus led to better grades anyway. Glad they believed like this… glad you do too!
Right there with you Pete. My biggest prayer for my kids is that they would know and love God passionately and be change agents of the king. I don’t care if they are in ‘full-time’ ministry or carry the gospel to whatever they choose to do, as long as they love him and live for him.
Of course I wouldn’t mind if they were worship pastors or musicians, either?!
That’s probably the nicest note I’ve ever seen from a teacher. Way to go on the parenting you guys.
I love getting these kinds of notes from school as well Pete. You just can’t help but be proud of them when they make His Love that obvious.
We had a letter come in the mail from a school office administrator about our son Jonathan one afternoon that brought both my wife and I to tears (happy ones), but reinforced to us how far-reaching the results of our children’s Faith and compassion can be. It’s too long for a comment here, but it’s on my blog at : http://www.phatherphil.org/?p=539 if you have interest.
Thank you for sharing your son’s note.
Have a Blessed Day!
Hey Pastor Pete,
Not sure why but I dont see the note or a link for the note???
Anyways I am sure it was great!!
Yeah, the picture is missing for me too :-/
Oh ok at least I am not the only one then.
It was amazing that the teacher RECOGNIZED this! When I read this note, I have to wonder about Griffin, and how amazed he must feel when Jett makes him feel whole, and not stupid. Even at their ages.
That is so awesome. My son’s teacher award ribbons for various character traits weekly. This week, after my son broke his arm, he was awarded the Courage ribbon. I really appreciated her doing that. I place a very high value on academic excellence because of my upbringing, but I definitely want the most important thing my boys learn to be how to love and live like Jesus.
Thanks Pete for this post about instilling Christ in your boys!
For my children, I always talked to them about being connected, surrendered to Jesus Christ and serving Him with passion. They picked up on ways my wife and I modeled it, though also seeing our difficulties and brokenness at times.
Pete, make sure your boys know how to use a chain saw!
My wife, Yvonne, was the one with the “secrets” to parenting in our family. I think I just muddled along. But once when our two kids were very little and our TV gave out, she decided not to replace it. Instead, she gave the kids her time. They read together, played games, did crafts, even built some furniture. By the time we finally got another TV, their personalities were well formed.
And there were more results than I realized. We’d moved a lot, and had attended several churches we’d really liked. Just a few years ago, I got curious which church had influenced the kids the most – so I asked them. The reply? NONE of them. BOTH kids said their faith didn’t come from any of the excellent churches we’d attended, but from seeing us live consistent lives at home, and from the miracles and answers to prayer they saw in our own family.
Pete, your boys should be rejoicing at a dad who “gets it,” particularly after all the years I’ve heard you tell in messages those humorous stories against your own parenting skills. As a parent to 3 grown daughters myself, you are absolutely wise, right and clear-eyed, friend! If “Wilson” seems like an ordinary name, I know 3 uniquely named Jett, Gage and Brewer who will make names for themselves, and yes, it will be over CHARACTER! Thanks for reminding this grandpa what I need to encourage in yet another generation. Hope you are also getting good Mexican food!
Man, this is dead on.
I tell my son (6) all the time that he is special and he is loved by someone far greater than April and I. I tell him that it’s his job to demonstrate this love to others. That’s what’s important to me as well.
Amen Pete! My wife and I have made the same commitment.
Our fomer preacher always said the role of the parent was to: “Teach and train your kids to l-e-a-v-e.”
But before they go, we want to make sure that their introduction to the world is accretive, not the negative.
Striving for excellence on report cards was always 1b, 1a was that excellent ‘conduct’ grade. With the last daughter about to go to college, mission accomplished.
See you soon Pete.
I agree with you totally. I want to see Jesus in my boys. Everything else will fall into place.
Amen! Put Him first and the rest will follow….
Likewise… My goal isn’t happy kids, it’s well adjusted, compassionate, Christ-centered children who shine of Jesus!
What a great note to receive from a teacher! I can tell you two are very proud of your son, and you should be! I’m a supply teacher, and I see so many kids who are not like that. It warms my heart to know there are children “out there” who do display those characteristics.
Notes like that, remarks from teachers and parents about how they have witnessed one of my kids showing kindness to others, those things I treasure. Good grades and athletic ability are all well and good, but to see your child reflect the love of Christ? Wow. Nothing makes me prouder. It’s no surprise that your kids would receive a note like this one. Children do as we do, not as we say.
Ever since my kids started PreK, the one question I would ask the teachers; how are they getting along with others? I beamed when the teacher told me how my daughter stood by the little girl who cried every day for the first month. My daughter wouldn’t say anything to her, just go and stand next to her. Compassion. That is the biggest lesson I want my children to learn while on this earth. Jesus is a model. In God’s Love, sheila
Love this! We felt the same when our kids were in school. It’s not the grade on the report card, it’s the comments. How are our children conducting themselves outside our home when we’re not watching? True test of character….
And believe me, they learned to fear the comments more than the grades lol! (just kidding but not really.)
Thank you Pastor for encouraging each of us. Parenting my amazing boys has been a most rewarding experience yet equally challenging. Thank you for the reminder to remember the real needs of my young men.
We all love our kids and think they’re the greatest — but when you get a note like that from “an outside source” reinforcing what you hoped was true about your child, it is such an encouragement.
As we raised our daughter,(we homeschooled her), we kept a hand print outline pasted to the wall of her schoolroom. At the tip of each finger of the hand print was a word, or a goal, really. We set these above all else – including academics.
Our five fingered goals for her were:
Faith
Love
Character
Patience
Christ-likeness
Of course, like all of us, Abby is not perfect. But we are so happy to see how these qualities (mostly instilled in her by her Mom and the Holy Spirit) are carrying her to be such a beautiful servant in the kingdom. She’s working toward her degree as a worship leader at the worship arts college in Memphis, Visible School http://www.visible.edu – in fact, the home page of their site currently includes a story by / about her.
Pete, great post.
I was curious though about this:
I wonder if you might be, uhm, denying (in a roundabout way) that non-Jesus kids do this very same thing?
In other words, its not necessarily the mirror of Jesus doing this because kids that don’t know Jesus (nor have a great home life) often exhibit these traits.
I’m not throwing stones – just pointing out an ambiguity. You’ve done a great job raising him it sounds like!
I am 66 years old, Pete. When each of my three children were placed in my arms after their birth I told them that the only thing they would need was Jesus. On that day I told them about the unconditional love of The Saviour. My only concern has been that I reflecct Jesus to them and that they, in turn, do the same to the hurting world. I stand with you sweet pastor on this.
Thank you for this. Sometimes I feel like the oddball parent even at church because I’m not running my children to pitching lessons, extra baseball practice, competition gymnastic, tutoring, etc. etc. etc. People have a hard time comprehending that I just want my kids to love the Lord their God and to be a light in a very dark world. So what if they aren’t the top student in their class, the best baseball player, etc. If they are loving God and striving to be their best in Christ, then the other stuff falls in place.