Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Matthew 6:25

My kids were not “ball” kids. For that I am eternally thankful. I gave them every opportunity to fall in love with baseball or basketball (their dad was totally opposed to football) and it just didn’t take. Of course, they didn’t just sit at home. As one of those weird homeschool moms, I wanted them to find an extracurricular activity that met their own personalities and give 100% of themselves to it. They took music lessons, I think mostly just to please me. Eventually, one found his identity in flight and aircraft and we threw ourselves into a cadet program, learning far more than I ever wanted to know about airplanes, flight, paramilitary exercises and more. The other found a family in competitive shooting. Both boys were competent in their chosen extracurricular. One achieving a 12th in the nation spot in a shooting competition, the other winning one of 24 national spots at a leadership school in Washington, DC… My mind began to see “free college,” and I started pushing them to do better and more. The eldest could very well have attended the Air Force Academy and gotten a totally free college degree and flight lessons. He looked at me one day and said, “I really don’t want to do this. I don’t want to be yelled at every day for 4 years, and I don’t want to be locked into 10 years of military life at 17 years old.” I’m so thankful he was able to advocate for himself. My kids, like most, have a distinct drive to make their parents happy, often doing so even when it means temporary unhappiness for themselves. I’m so thankful that they were able to speak up and make their lives their own.

Looking back on that time, I realize that I pushed them far harder than was necessary. They complied to make me happy. I was looking for scholarships and well, honestly, for glory for myself, as their parent, especially as a homeschooling mom. If I could go back, I would slow down and enjoy them. I would play board games, and just soak in those times together. Most of all, I would have made a much larger attempt to help them make their faith real and alive. They each have a salvation experience, they each have been baptized, and they each still attend church while at college. However, I would like to go back and be a better Christian with and for them. My current week typically includes a discussion on Monday mornings with my secretary about what each of our pastors preached on for each service the day before. It’s something I’ve come to look forward to, not only to hear about what my secretary’s pastor preached, but to go through the exercise of looking back through my own notes and recounting the lessons God had for me on Sunday. It does very little for us to sit through sermons, if we don’t listen and internalize the message. I wish I had taken the opportunity to do those same exercises with my boys.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matthew 6:33

The message of Matthew 6 is clear, if we’re willing to listen. Our first priority should be our relationship with God. If we take care of that, everything else will fall into place. We are all striving, pushing for ‘something’. Whether it be finally making our own parents happy, reaching some self-appointed position or goal, or creating children that fit the mold that we’ve cast for them. But, in truth, we should only be working to seek what God has for us. And, it may not look like what we want it to. But, if we trust our heavenly Father… then it will be what it should be. What goals are you chasing? Are they worldly goals that will fade in view of eternity, or are they eternal treasures, those that won’t be corrupted? What are you chasing?