Little people, big Ideals!

A few days ago a friend of mine shared how he was pleasantly surprised to discover his seven year old son face-timing his grandparents and deeply engaged in promoting the support of a missionary with whom his son is acquainted.

Even though I was not there I know Dad beamed with pride when he saw first hand the fruit of his labor and relationship with his son. I could still hear the delight in his voice as he shared the story with me. And if that were not enough his son later asked if he could extend his support effort at school.  You gotta love 'em! When a child adopts a cause they are not silent and they expect results. Where does this caring, concern and generosity come from?

It's nothing new. Children watch and imitate parents and significant others in their lives.  As leaders and parents we are modeling whether we want to be doing so or not. When children see us being supportive of others, generous with out time and money they follow suit with a passion that is their own. 

The big question is "What are we modeling?  What if we were intentional about teaching them to care and be concerned about others? Why not choose a missionary, charity, or service project you can do together?  The time spent will be priceless and the resulting conversations life giving.