They Are Always Watching

I love children. Anyone who knows me understands that I love children and have a passion for teaching them about God and His love for them! Sometimes, it seems like I have been teaching forever, but it is always a fresh and new experience when I get into that classroom. I began teaching pre-school Sunday School back in 1987 and have taught every year except for a few, when business had me out of town on many weekends. People often tell me how wonderful it is that I feel called to teach these little ones. They don't understand that I am the one who receives the blessing. It is very seldom that I do not come home with a story of how a child said or did something that really touched my heart. This week was no exception.

This year I am working with four-year olds (probably my all-time favorite age group!) One of my little guys' (we'll call him Johnny) father is on a mission trip. I asked Johnny if his daddy was gone to Russia and he said, "Yes! He's telling people about Jesus!" I told Johnny that I was really proud of his daddy, because I had known him since he was a very young boy. Johnny looked at me and said, "I'm really proud of him too, Mr. Clint. He even told someone about Jesus when he was on the airplane!"

I thought about the godly example that father was setting for his child and how much that means to a young child. I am no educator nor am I an expert in raising children, but I do know this...they are always watching! A child watches his Mom and Dad and other adults in their life, from the time they are just a few weeks old until the day their mom or dad pass on. Whether they are a very young child or an adult, they still look to their mom and dad for the encouragement and guidance we all need. I know I still look to my mom and dad for their encouragement and their blessing. So as adults, how can we live a life that is a guide to the children in our lives? Here are a few things that I have learned over the years:

• Live the life you preach - Children notice everything. I have so many pre-schoolers tell me things that they have observed at home or school and I am confident that many of these things were never said, but they were communicated by a parent or a teacher's actions as loudly as if they had been shouted from a PA system!
• Remember to be positive - Children need positive encouragement. The most heartbreaking children I have worked with are those who have no confidence in anything they do, because they have been told that they "can't."
• It takes time - Many parents tell me that their goal is to spend quality time with their child, rather than quantity time. The sad reality is that most of the time, those parents know that deep down in their heart, they are not doing what they should be. A recent study by Focus on the Family (www.family.org) indicated that the average father spend less than 12 minutes a day in interaction with their child. Moms fared slightly better, by spending about 20 minutes with their child. The average 10-year old child watches 2.5 hours of TV and spends about 7 hours at school. I wonder where the biggest influence on that child will be?

Every person must make their own life journey and there is no way to see into the future and know what that journey will be. As parents and teachers, we often want to take that journey for our children, but we can't! However, we can be the compass that points them to the truth and to the ultimate journey...a walk with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior!