actions and priorities

Something I have been thinking a lot about lately is what I want Casey to learn from me.  Of course, my brain has been all things baby (with a little grad school in the mix), but I keep going back to this question.  What do I want to teach my son?  What is the one thing that I want him to learn and know?  What is the priority?

Without a doubt, I want Casey to know God and to have a relationship with Him.  I want him to know that Jesus, God's son, came to earth, lived a perfect life, and died for him.  I want him to know that whatever may happen to him in this life, heaven will be worth it - that suffering and trials are only temporary.

Easily, I could say all of these things to him on repeat, and if I'm lucky, it will stick.

However, I'm convinced that the most effective way of telling him these truths is through my actions.  Our actions show our priorities.  What I do in front of Casey will make more of an impact on him than any words I could say.   

Growing up, my family was at church any time the doors were open.  Usually we were even one of the first families there.  Sunday morning.  Sunday night.  Wednesday night.  Vacation Bible School.  Monday night for the master.  There was even one time when I got sick in bible class, and since I didn't have a fever, my mom took me home to change clothes and we came back for worship.  I didn't skip church for sports or birthday parties or sleepovers.  While I may have been bummed as a 10 year old having to miss that birthday party or activity, I now can't thank my parents enough for showing me consistency through their actions.  Because God was at the top of their list, their life followed accordingly.  

I'm really big on holidays and traditions.  My first Christmas away from home was a really big deal.  I'll admit - I was a little sad about it, and worried what Christmas would be like with another family.  In retrospect, I thank God that I got that Christmas with the Stewarts because it was my one and only Christmas with Meg. One thing I will never forget is when we gathered in the living to open presents, no one touched a single present.  We all sat down (me, wondering what in the world was going on) and had a family prayer, thanking God for His blessings.  I could tell that this prayer wasn't a surprise, as everyone got quiet and looked to Brian to begin.  I love that my husband grew up in a house where giving thanks to God before opening presents was a priority to the family.  It was obviously something instilled in the Stewart kids long ago. 

Our goal (Devin and I) as parents is to get Casey to heaven.  We are committed to doing whatever we can to accomplish this goal.  We won't always be liked because of it, by our son, or our families or friends.  We will, however, know that by putting God first, we can't go wrong.