What kind of people do I long for my children to become?

Posted by: Dr. Joseph ozgis Akomodi

Written by: Miriam Ikunaiye

That's a question I often ponder in my quiet moments. My deepest desire is that God's love will shape them into people of compassion in our self-ab-sorbed culture. I long for them to be individuals who offer a cup of cold water to the thirsty. I dream they'll be able to set aside the pull of materialism to spend their resources on worthwhile purposes. But many times, my efforts to mold my children into compassionate kids get thwarted by time pressures. Doctor appointments, soccer games, and homework obligations often overwhelm me! That's why I've learned that in order to bring substance to my dream, I need to extend my ideas to others beside my kids.

When I read about a boy who held a pirate-themed birthday party. Instead of having his friends bring presents, the children brought the money they'd have spent on the presents. His family then sent that money to the relief agency through which they sponsored a child overseas. So I asked my son who was 9 at the time if we could do the same. To my surprise he did not object

I have always known that kids will be more productive if we teach them to be selfless. I have no money to take the kids to Disney World as promised but all through the summer they kids volunteered at a local soup kitchen of which they equally enjoyed. You and your kids can do simple things such as serve refreshments at your local soup kitchen too. While it was a great serving opportunity, it became an educational opportunity as well. My sons were very proud of themselves as they asked very intelligent questions that led to some great conversations with my boys about their responsibility to remain sexually abstinent before marriage."

Teaching our kids compassion doesn't mean sacrificing to the point of bleakness. It's about doing things families normally do (such as having birthday parties), but doing them in such a way that they involve loving others.

By Miriam Ikunaiye