Reflection (May 19-26)

Here is an overview of what we’re talking about. Listed below the summary is a “parent cue” to help you dialog with your child about the session. The question is intended not just to be asked by you, but to be responded to by BOTH of you. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your child, and allow your child to see what God is teaching you as well.

REFLECTION: Series Overview

What do you see when you look in the mirror? Many of us see what we’re not instead of who we actually are, don’t we? We see someone who burned dinner or spilled juice on the carpet. Someone who lost her car keys—again. Someone who is not the right height or weight. Someone plagued with could-have-beens and if-onlys. These disappointments and imperfections are why we want to cover up who we really are. We want to make sure that the world around us sees only the version of us that we want them to see. But the Bible tells us we are children of God—loved and treasured exactly as we are. Over the next two weeks, we are going to challenge your child to take a look at him or herself and dare to be real.

Session One: Masks (May 19)

The first week we are going to set up the series by talking about the masks that we all wear. Most of us know we can’t be perfect at everything, but we do have certain areas where we want to appear like we are. We want to be desirable and valued. We want to feel we are worth something. But in order to get those things, we feel the need to cover up who we really are. This week we will encourage your child to begin to allow others to see him or her for who they really are. We want your child to be free from hiding behind masks.

Session One Parent Cue:

-What are some masks you hide behind?

-Why do you hide?

Session Two: Uncovered (May 26)

Practice makes perfect. How many times have you heard that? How many times have you said it? Just like it takes practice to be a skilled musician or softball player, it takes practice to be content with the real you. This week we will share with your child just a little bit about what our heavenly Father thinks about him or her. We want to encourage your child to practice seeing who God sees when he or she looks in the mirror. Because when we learn to see ourselves as God sees us, we can be free to live without the mask and be who we truly are.

Session Two Parent Cue: 

-How does God see me?

-Why do you think this is hard to believe?

-How can we help each other see ourselves how God sees us? 

FOR PARENTS ONLY:

Here in the U.S., we celebrate a day for mothers, a day for fathers and a day for grandparents. But we never have a celebration for the whole family. But that’s not true elsewhere.

Family Day is actually the name of a public holiday set aside to celebrate families. One of the places Family Day is celebrated is in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan. Below are the comments of a Canadian pastor and father of two teenage boys (ages 12 and 16), as he reflected on his Family Day celebration. As you read his words, think about your own family. How could you begin to establish some family celebration into your daily routine this month?

Family Day... Every Day

by Carey Nieuwhof

We celebrated our first family day in Ontario today... a celebration, our premier says, of family, because families need more time together. Good idea.

We're at the stage in our family where racking up the mileage on the car is not hard—hockey rules, and right now we're all over the place in playoffs. Between hockey and work, there's not a lot of time left. But because time is the key to relationship, and relationship is the key to life in Christ, we have to think creatively about how we as a family can leverage the time we have.

To me, as the kids get older, the key is not just praying together or reading the Bible together (that's important and necessary), but the key is opening a dialogue about faith and life that runs through life. That can be a lot trickier. Personally, I find conversations about God and life happen best in the flow of everyday life.

Here's what we do to try to track together at this stage in life (my boys are 16 and 12):

• We eat dinner together almost every night.

• We serve together on Sundays.

• We listen to music together. We let the kids drive the playlist because whatever they choose sure beats four people living together with four iPods running four separate soundtracks.

• I let my 16-year-old drive wherever he's legally allowed because it gives us time together.

• I'm reading through the book of Daniel with Sam (age 12).

• We play board games, watch movies and read in the same space.

• I'm trying not to stay at work too late or let work come home with me too often.

• We try to take several shorter vacations together each year.

This may all sound like pretty normal, unimaginative stuff, but the key to relationship is time. What things do you do with your family? What helps you keep communication with your child wide open?

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