Jeff Arrives
Perry is on his way out the door to work.
Nancy: Perry, I think you better call your boss and say you won’t make it to work today.
Perry: Okay, why should I do that?
Nancy: Really, you need to ask? You remember what day it is?
Perry: Yes, but John was two weeks late and needed some encouraging.
Nancy: Well, this baby is not going to be late, and today is the day the doctor gave us, and … well and…
Perry: Then I will call him and then the doctor to let him know we are on our way to the hospital.
Nancy: I will get my bag and be right there.
Later at the hospital
Perry: Nancy are we still in agreement about the names? We are going to repeat the JPH pattern?
Nancy: I have the list. It is in my purse if you want to review them again, but I think we are pretty sure on the options we have chose for a boy or a girl.
Perry: Then all we need is the arrival of the baby to know which we will use.
Nancy: Hopefully the baby will come as quickly as John. Ooooh that was a strong one.
Pause for Nancy to relax
Perry: I was just thinking about our summer and all the things we did even though you were six months pregnant.
Nancy: You were a bit surprised when I suggested a camping trip would be fun. But I needed to get out of the house and you needed a break from work.
Perry: It was a great time. Especially camping in the parks and hiking on the trails. Me carrying John in a back pack and you the yet to be born baby. Especially the hike up the devil’s lake trail and the view. (of you of course).
Nancy: I really enjoyed visiting the winter home of the circus in Baraboo, and the elephant ride.
Perry: I wonder how all that fresh air, camping, and activity will affect our child: They say babies are affected by what their mothers are involved in.
Nancy: Trips to the farm, camping, and our time at district conference and camp. Yes, we have been outside enjoying the fresh air more than usual.
Couple of hours later:
Perry: It’s a boy and so continues the tradition of only boys in the Hubbard family. I am not sure if that makes me happy or sad.
Nancy: Either way it’s a boy and his name is Jeffrey Paul. Not so much family history this time, but a little because each of us has a brother named Paul.
Perry: And we are going to get to introduce him to family very soon. Do you think we can still go to my brother Dan’s wedding? Jeff came on time, but it is only 8 days away.
Nancy: I think so. It will be good to see your family and John is excited about being the ring bearer. Yes, let’s not change the plan. And I am glad Jeff followed the schedule, so we could go.
Perry: Maybe we can work in a quick trip to your family as well. If not, I hope at least your parents can come soon to meet their new grandson.
Nancy: Perry, I have been thinking about our call to missions. Will we be good parents and able to learn what we need to know to take care of our boys in another country? I am also concerned about how they will know their family.
Perry: Yes, even now we are dealing with that issue. Being a senior pastor means not being able to go home for many of the holidays and not being able to participate in many family events. It will mean finding creative ways to keep us connected to our families and lots of dependence on God for wisdom.
Nancy: Raising children is always an adventure and challenge. I pray God will help us to do our best and guide us when we feel lost and inadequate.
Perry: You will not have a problem there. I can already see you will do great because of how you take care of me and John. Now it’s time for you to rest and me to go tell John about his new brother. I will bring John with me tomorrow to see his brother Jeff and help me bring the two of you home.
What do you think are critical keys to good parenting no matter what culture you are in? How does good parenting affect your testimony and ministry?
Sweet and loving memories! And you never let a teachable moment go! So as to your questions, I will try to brief.
1. The most critical key to good parenting is active parrticipation in their lives via emotional support, intellectual stimulation, and ethical teaching not necessarily in that order. Foundationally understood is that we must practice what we preach and embrace all of Jesus’ commands not selectively a few.
2. Parenting affects our testimony directly. The unsaved can easily point to our hypocrisy if we selfishly ignore our families even if carefully ( if not craftily) hidden behind public service and even church work. God will hold us responsible if we marginalize our children for the sake of some sort public or church persona. That being said, positive parenting will bring great influence on others in the local congregation as an example to them.
well said. the challenge is doing this in another culture which sometimes has different standards and ideas about child rearing.