Pressure Builder or Pressure Reliever? - Part 2

How much water will 1 foot of 16 inch steel pipe hold before it overflows from too much pressure? The cylinder volume equation is: pi*r^2*h r=8in h=12in pi*(8in)^2*12in = 2412.743158 cubic inches (Impressed? Don’t be). Interesting to some, but today’s Family Matters focus is up close and personal … pressure to succeed / perform well.
 
Parents are we a “pressure cooker” or” pressure reliever?” Our kids are compared at every corner they turn: academics, athletics, the arts, at church and even at home. How well do we protect our family by being an advocate of nurturing their God given talents and interests? As parents do we cultivate an atmosphere of discovery and adventure or do we place tremendous loads of unwanted and unattainable expectations?
 
Everyone is turned off by parents reliving our youth and finding our identity in the performance of our child. There are too many pressures already out there being downloaded on our children. They need us to intercede, guide, protect, set boundaries, celebrate their successes and sit in on their disappointments. We need to let them know that we’re not perfect and that we, too, struggled in our youth.  Then watch how they respond and come to our side.
 
Teaching our children is our highest privilege and demands our best effort and full attention.  (Proverbs 22:6…check out all the Proverbs).  We can't give it away for someone else to do. We have a divine duty and honor to parent. This requires patience, humility and really knowing each child’s composition. Sibling pressures and family legacies can be healthy but should not be restrictive/limiting. Let’s all take a chill pill and consider the BIG picture – we are all uniquely created to worship and serve the Lord. (Colossians 3:12-17)
 
Today, yes today, is Veteran's Day.  The privileges and blessings we have today are from their sacrifice, serve and duty. As the pressure builds let us be about those things that will last for eternity. Thank you Lord, and thank you Veterans for your sacrificial love!
 

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Camper Corner
 
Game On? How good is good enough? Are you running a sprint or marathon? Slow down and realize that your performance cannot get you to heaven. You are saved by faith alone in Christ alone. Weird isn’t it that our North American self imposed pressures can mold us into high achievers yet, at the same time, we experience burn out and emptiness. Choose to develop into the MACs / WOGs that you have been designed to be – then the pressure will be the Potter (God) molding you (the clay) into a vessel of honor, useful to the master (2 Timothy 2:21; Isaiah 64:8).