Pastor's Note

GOOD KIDS
May 13th, 2007

When I was much younger and in grade school, I used to ask my mother each year what she wanted for Mother’s Day. Her response, which was the same when I asked about Christmas or birthday gifts, was, “I simply want good kids.”
This answer always frustrated me. First of all, I thought we already were pretty good. Secondly, I was looking for something simple like flowers, candy, or cooking a meal for her. No, she wanted good kids.
Perhaps that is the unexpressed wish of every mother. Having kids that respond well to their mothering and leadership has to be very fulfilling. Children who behave well show they are growing in maturity as they learn how to cope with life. And living a Christian faith is as expression of their awareness of what truly matters.
It’s not that mothers stop loving their children when the offspring misbehave or in other ways let them down. With the ultimate unconditional love, mothers don’t quit that easily. Maybe they worry and try to correct, but they don’t stop loving.
The gift of responsive children, however, continues to be a wonderful way for the younger set to show their appreciation to their mothers and dads. As Mom said, just be good kids.