Glimpse of the Goal

  A couple of mornings ago, I sat down to breakfast and chatted with the girls before we took off with schooling for the day.  I happened to mention that we were expecting thunderstorms in the afternoon.  Suddenly I was staring at a table full of concerned looks.  But they weren't nervous about the thunder and lightning, oh no, they began exclaiming that all  the piles of leaves they had raked-up the previous night would get drenched and be more difficult to move into the forest.
  SAY WHAT?   I was thinking the same thing you are...what kids care about, much less THINK about such things.  They began begging me for time to go out and get the leaves up before the rain came our way.  How could I possibly refuse them when they requested time to do outdoor labor?  So they rushed outside, and I shuffled along a few minutes behind them. 
  Still in a somewhat bewildered state of mind over the events of the past few moments, I arrived on the scene to find a well oiled machine at work.  The wheelbarrow was being used to cart leaves out to the forest, and then to cart the 3yro on the way back.  Not only were they giving it their full, team effort, but they seemed like they were enjoying themselves.  I looked over my shoulder thinking I might find Mary Poppins or Nanny McPhee.   I could almost hear the Disney music playing as my children kept up the pace.  I joined in the work, and tied strings with all their hearts.  There's nothing like a common goal to build community.
  This is a rare occurrence, but one that I hope will be repeated with increasing frequency as our children mature.  Part of the goal in training them is to encourage initiative and diligence in the work at hand.  We want our children to reach a place where they see the need and take measures to meet it.  I don't want to have teenagers that need me to harp on every little thing that needs to be done around the house.  I want teammates on our family ship, not passengers who expect a luxury cruise until they are 18.  When our children take ownership or partnership in the family affairs, they begin to feel their worth and the responsibility that comes with it.  So glad for the glimpse of the goal that those sweet girls gave me.  I pray that God will help me to be a daily example of the goal for my girls; for more is caught than taught.