The State of the Family

The State of the Family

The new year is often a time of reflection. We often set goals, resolutions, or other aspects that come from fresh starts. We will watch our President present the State of the Union to our nation. Organizations will often present to their staff, clients, and supporters new updates and plans for the next year. It is a new beginning in many ways.

One important area to assess would be our relationships and especially those closest to us.

“What is the state of the family?”

This is a question that my wife Christina will periodically ask when we can step away for a quiet moment. We will go through each of our children and discuss what we see in them in this particular season.

Things we will look at with our children:
-Where are they seeing success and where are they struggling?
-How are they doing spiritually?
-Are they being challenged
-Are they growing?

It is important to also examine ourselves and our relationship.

We need to ask the question, “How are you doing?” I am thankful for these moments. We will often share our thoughts with our children. This is important for them to see. I hope they will do the same with their families one day. There are times when we will have them answer these same questions. Self-awareness is a great skill for our children to develop.

As we reflect during these important conversations, here are a few reminders:

Enjoy the little things.
These moments and reflections are good because we can often miss the little things while we are in the trenches of raising children and strengthening our relationships. We easily focus on the weaknesses without seeing the small strides our children are making. Be diligent in looking for the little things.

2. Enjoy the process.
Greatness does not come overnight. Daniel did not become the man that God used in Babylon in one day. It was a process that prepared him for the tests he would face. Don’t miss the process. We will not remember as much of the tough parts of the journey as we will enjoy the fruit of the labor.

3. Enjoy the season.
We all have had moments when we look at our children and wonder how did they get this old? Our family now has a driver and that thought came rushing to us again. We are proud and excited but at the same time want to hold on to these moments.