Getting From Here to There: A Vision For the Future Part 2
Wednesday, September 17, 2008 at 12:00AM Getting From Here to There: A Vision of the Future part 1
Over time as you think and pray through what is important, it helps to form a vision statement, something to guide your overall decision making process as you transverse the myriad of decisions you will be making as a parent.
A vision statement doesn’t have to be detailed or complicated. It is meant to be a star to guide you as opposed to a detailed map. One or two sentences will be of more help in the long term than a 3-page outline. This is mine, yours may be very different: I want my children to be adults in God’s kingdom.
That’s it. This simple statement encompasses all that I desire for my kids in terms of both their character and what they may achieve with their lives. I know as they grow they may have a different vision for their future and as adults, they are entitled to blaze their unique trail in life. If the path they choose is different from the one I envision as their parent, that may or may not be sad for me. It is our responsibility as parents to first lead, then guide, than set our kids free. You can’t lead if you don’t know where you are headed.
Where are you headed with your child? What overall vision will guide your decision making for the years of parenting you have left? Can you summarize your vision is a sentence or two?
Next on Getting From Here to There: Character Training= Teaching + Discipline + Punishment
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Reader Comments (1)
I love your line of thinking on these last two posts. I feel the exact same way. It is good to be in the present, but looking to the future and how it will affect them and you is so good too! I often asked my stepson what kind of person he wanted to be when he grew up and how he might get there. Just as I consider this as a parent.