I am enjoying the simple summer days, now that they are in full swing. I’ve been thinking a lot about keeping my kids unplugged as much as possible. We’re usually pretty unplugged as it is, in that we have iPad time earned by reading, video games only on the weekends, and no cable TV.Yet, it still creeps in.
Unplugged time is so important. The brain needs to be used, and it also teaches that there is not always immediate gratification. Anything worth doing, takes time.
A garden is planted, cultivated, harvested over time. Part of the enjoyment in the gardening for me is the work it takes to get there. I want my kids to have that work ethic. To know that God created us to work hard. So many places in the Bible it teaches we are not to be lazy, but diligent and not idle with our hands.
We recently went fishing as a family. My husband explained that it isn’t about catching the fish, but the process. The waiting, the patience, and the time it takes are important. It’s very much like life. We often are waiting on God’s timing for things….and He has been known to make us wait very long sometimes!
I also recently bought some wood burning kits on clearance. For $5 my boys spent an entire rainy afternoon working with the wood and making intricate designs. One of them was much more impatient, and I explained how a beautiful piece of art takes time. It is not always about the product but what we learn when we get there.
Enjoy being unplugged this summer. Don’t look for immediate gratification, but simply enjoy the process.
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