Know Your Numbers
I love being a mom…usually. (How’s that for honesty?)
Watching my kids grow up is fun
and frustrating. Exciting and
excruciating. Awesome and
awful. Sacred and scary.
The first day of each new school year brings the familiar, “Ya gotta know your bus number. Don’t forget it. That’s how you’ll get back home, okay?” I showed them the billboard they had to wear around their neck that said their name and bus number. They nodded as if they were listening to me. They made it home.
The first day of each new school year brings the familiar, “Ya gotta know your bus number. Don’t forget it. That’s how you’ll get back home, okay?” I showed them the billboard they had to wear around their neck that said their name and bus number. They nodded as if they were listening to me. They made it home.
In a cruel twist of fate, days
after my husband and I serenaded our boys with, “8-6-7-5-3-0-9” from the 1982
hit song Jenny, we determined it was
time they learn their home phone number.
I’ll let you take one guess as to what they said their home phone number
was.
You guessed correctly,“8-6-7-5-3-0-9”.
This charming phase lasted for oh, only about six months.
This charming phase lasted for oh, only about six months.
I love being a mom, usually,
I stepped up on my soap box and
declared, “Kids, this is serious.
Ya gotta know your numbers.
It’s not funny. What if you
get lost? Ya gotta know your
number!”
With a prayer and the help of the
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star ditty,
my kids now know their home phone number.
I love being a mom, usually.
It only took, what felt like,
forever for them to learn their address.
But they did. Then we
moved. And, we’re still in
process.
I love being a mom, usually.
“Know your numbers” has been an
important theme pressed into my children.
Two summers ago, I knew they needed some new numbers. These new numbers would also help them,
when they needed help finding their way.
The new numbers were Bible verses.
That summer we (and I do mean
we) memorized eight scriptures. We
started with the most important one, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world
that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not
perish but have eternal life.” We
moved onto other ones like, “A friend loves at all times.” Proverbs 17:17
This past year, I’ve also started
to show them how, to not just know the numbers, but how to look them up in the
Bible.
Lysa TerKeurst wrote, “My goal
should never be to raise kids that make me look good. My goal should be to raise kids who love God and spend their
lives making His goodness known in their corner of the world.”
In order to know God and make
God known, my kids are going to need to know their numbers. They’re going to need to know what
numbers to call up when they’re scared or happy or lonely or sick or trying to
deal with their parents. I want my
kids to be physically safe. So I
taught them their home phone, the garage door key code and in time, they’ll
know their home address again. I
also want my kids to be spiritually safe too. And they’ll need to “know their numbers”.
Have I mentioned lately that I
love being a mom?
What numbers do you want to
teach your kids this summer?
Steph's writing has appeared in Proverbs 31 Ministry, P31 Woman magazine. In her free time she can be found encouraging numerous MOPS group in the northern Virginia area on the "Colorful Art of Friendship - Allowing God to Paint the Masterpieces" and MOPS leaders on "Being a Bright Light".
Steph can be found blogging at www.encouragedinheart.org or on Facebook at Stephanie Fink or on her Facebook page Encouraged in Heart - Stephanie Fink. She loves big hair, big cups of coffee and big bear hugs.
Steph's writing has appeared in Proverbs 31 Ministry, P31 Woman magazine. In her free time she can be found encouraging numerous MOPS group in the northern Virginia area on the "Colorful Art of Friendship - Allowing God to Paint the Masterpieces" and MOPS leaders on "Being a Bright Light".
Steph can be found blogging at www.encouragedinheart.org or on Facebook at Stephanie Fink or on her Facebook page Encouraged in Heart - Stephanie Fink. She loves big hair, big cups of coffee and big bear hugs.
Labels: Faith, Inspiration, Parenting
8 Comments:
I love Steph Fink! She's always funny, practical and real! Thanks for sharing her post with us! Looking forward to more from her. :-)
Love it! Great Great Great! You made me smile today! Thank you!
Mary B.
Steph is one my favorite mom writers. She has a real way of connecting with moms and encouraging them! Love this article!
I love that they thought Jenny's number was their own. :) John 3:16 was the first verse in today's Gospel reading at church. I was thinking that my kids should know it too. Thanks for the inspiration!
AWESOME!!! Inspiring!!!!Love Proverbs 17:17!!!
Bring on more Stephanie please!
love the article!!
Thank you SO much, Trisha, for allowing me to be part of this awesome community that you've built! :-)
Always leading by example, you rock! So happy to see you on here :-)
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