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This past year, my family got to attend my 7 year old son’s first ever basketball game. Him being our first son, and after a world of dancing and bows, it was a very special day for us. My number one advice for him as we walked into the game was, “Have fun!” The game was definitely a delight to watch - five to seven year olds attempting to play a complicated ball game when they could barely dribble or shoot the ball :-).
As I watched the game, I couldn’t help but take notice of the comments and interactions of the parents with their children. One particularly cute little boy, who I picture being a computer programmer when he grows up, would not quit pulling his shorts up to his armpits. The entire game we got to hear his dad yelling at him, “Leave your shorts alone!!” I never heard him yell anything encouraging to him, but I did hear him yelling commands about the shorts a lot.
Then there was Lauren who was playing for the other team. She was a little 6 year old blonde, with curls to her shoulders that were held out of her face with a bow head band. She hardly knew how to play the game, but she sure did look cute out there trying! I happened to be sitting by Lauren’s 9 year old sister and her mother. On the occasions the ball ended up in her hands, I could clearly hear Lauren’s mother. I heard a frustrated, “Shoot the ball, Lauren!” Or, “Don’t just stand there, GO!” As the game went on, she began griping to her 9 year old, “I swear she doesn’t listen to a thing the coach says.” It was one degradation after another. I’m not exactly sure what Lauren was supposed to be to be pleasing to her mother, but it was obvious she was not it. As the game ended, there was no congratulations, just “Let’s go, we have to get your sister to her game.”
Then, there was the star shooter for the team. His dad was not content to sit back and cheer his son on or give thumbs ups and smiles from the stands. He had to stand on the sidelines and tell his son how he could improve every chance he got. One particular time, the boy made an awesome basket! As he ran back down the court, he smiled big at his father on the sidelines. His father returned his smile with more instructions that he needed to “slow down”.
Psalm 127:3
Children are a gift from the Lord;
They are a reward from Him.
Children are a gift from the Lord. Gifts are meant to be enjoyed. This past Christmas, you gave fun gifts to your children. I don’t think you imagined them opening their gifts, and then criticizing every part of them. You imagined them enjoying them as they spent time with them.
I may not know a lot of things, but I do know that the boy with the big shorts did not have a dad that enjoyed him at his game. I know Lauren did not have a mother that enjoyed how simply adorable she was in her basketball game. I know the star shooter’s dad was more focused on producing a star than simply sitting back and enjoying his son.
Remember, children are gifts. The reward is not them being the best of the best. The reward is them. We of course are charged with training them up to be loving, strong adults. However, we are not charged with criticizing them for everything they are not. Gifts are meant to be enjoyed – don’t forget to simply enjoy your wonderful gifts from God.
Father God, thank You for giving me such beautiful gifts. I was so happy to receive each one of them from You. Please help me remember that they will not always meet up to my hopes for them. Please help me to simply enjoy them at all the opportunities that I can, instead of constantly being critical.