7/29/07
Tim Coody led a full Genesis house on chapter four of Steven Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families. Habit #4 is entitled “Win-Win”. For the benefit of those summertime church-goers (like me), #1’s habit is “Proactive” (have a mission in mind), #2’s habit “Begin with the End in Mind” (set clear goals), and #3’s habit “First Things First” (set priorities). Tim began by reminding us of the parable that told of the laborers who worked various portions of the day (from full day to half day to even a couple of hours), but all got paid the same wage. Which group of workers triumphed that day? Did the ones hired last revel in the fact that they only had to work a short time but received the same pay? Or did those last hires have a day of desperation and despair over the thoughts that they may not be able to provide for their families without employment? I believe we all agreed that these weren’t slovenly, lazy citizens wanting to cheat someone out of something. All the men genuinely wanted to be employed. Kay Caldwell compared this parable to the thieves on the cross next to Jesus. God’s grace is the same whether or not your journey with Him occurs over a lifetime or near one’s last breath here on earth. It truly not matters to God what works we do or the amount we contribute. Those things are our gifts to enjoy during our short stay here. It is vital that we savor and enjoy that journey. As we all witnessed just over a month ago, that passage may be shorter than we ever thought.
Tim told us about two brothers in the book that competed with each other over video games. The youngest boy thought it unfair that his older brother always beat him when they played together. Should we as parents level the playing field when games or sports are involved? Some opinions from class members were “accentuate the positive in each individual child”, “give the child an advantage according to age/ability”, “stress the importance of good sportsmanship”. What is your objective when teaching your children about success? Ted Griffin thinks that if what you want to convey about success is being involved in and learning to compete with others in a sport, then an occasional advantage is fine. If a parent wants to prove that they are bigger, better, stronger, or faster than their child, then no favors are necessary. Great point, Ted!


Until next Sunday morning…keep in mind that God’s grace is given freely for all!

Love~
Beth