Let Them Love the House

Day 1 — Let Them Love the House

Scripture: Mark 10:13–16

There's a house we drive past all the time. My daughter loves it. Something about it captures her imagination. When I look at it, I see no yard, an impractical location, and all the reasons I wouldn't want to live there. I could point out every one of them. But why? She's not asking me to buy the house. She's telling me she thinks it's beautiful.

Lately I've wondered whether, in my effort to prepare my children for the real world, I've sometimes been too quick to introduce them to its disappointments. In Mark 10, people brought children to Jesus for a blessing, and the disciples tried to turn them away. Jesus welcomed them. The disciples saw an interruption; Jesus saw people worthy of His attention.

How often do our children share an excitement and find us preparing a critique before they've finished speaking? The same happens with teenagers: bigger dreams, changing interests, seemingly unrealistic plans. Being right isn't always the same as being loving. Sometimes love sounds like, “Tell me what you love about it.”

Reflect: Did I join my child's excitement or immediately evaluate it?

Practice: Celebrate one thing your child loves without unsolicited correction.

Prayer: Father, help me see my children as You see them. Teach me to listen before speaking and protect the joy You have placed in their hearts. Amen.