Growing Up - Part 1

“Jesus grew in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52
 
It is coming, and you can’t stop it from happening. You leave on your family vacation, and upon arriving some relative is bound to look at your kids and declare, “My, look at how much they have grown this year!”   Be prepared for a good cheek-pinching to go along with their words! 
 
Your extended family will recognize how your kids have grown in stature over this past year. It’s much more noticeable when you don’t see someone often. But will they be able to discern how your child has grown in other critical areas as well? 
 
Here are three areas of encouragement for you and your crowd as you hit the road this summer.  

1. Courtesy – Blame it on texting if you’d like, but kids today struggle to engage adults in courteous conversation. Encourage them to stand still, look at an adult who is speaking, and respectfully answer their questions.   We are trying to help our kids think about questions they want to ask of the adults we will visit. We ask, “What are a few things you would like to ask your aunt and uncle about on this trip?” Nothing is more fun than to see your child ask an adult, “So, what are you doing for fun these days?” 
2. Consideration – In our selfish, me-centered culture, adults and kids alike can fall into the pit of inconsideration. Counteract this by talking, as a family, about ways to be a blessing to others by considering what they need. For instance, if you’re visiting family this summer and Grandma spends lots of time cooking in the kitchen, show consideration by having your family take over the cleaning chores at each meal. You might see dear Grandma’s face showing some “shock and awe!” 
3. Compare growth – Initiate a family discussion about the growth of everyone’s character as it relates to physical growth. Take ears, tongue, and hands for example. How has each person grown in his or her ability to listen, in the kindness and encouragement of speech, or in ways to serve as a blessing to others? You can come up with other body parts as a springboard for discussion as well. 

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Camper Corner 
How do you think you have grown this year? What parts of your life do you think still needs lots of growing in order for you to be mature?