From Mary Janes to a Wedding Dress

I hope you have made your Yardstick List. If not, I beg you to make it quick. You would be so surprised how fast your PeeWee will go from wearing shiny mary jane shoes to fancy wedding shoes!

For the last two weekends I have watched the parade of PeeWees dressed in their Christmas outfits waltzing through PeeWeeVille ready to sing on stage. I love it! Sunday, I literally closed my eyes and was taken back to a day that didn't seem long ago when my three were all dressed in coordinating outfits. My son looked so handsome in his Christmas sweater and khakis. The girls with shiny shoes and twirly dresses. I love mary jane shoes - every little girl should have a pair! But then I was rushed out of my daydream abruptly as I saw two of my kids walk into PeeWeeVille and they are both taller than me! Neither had mary janes or fancy clothes on, and the worst part.............they were adults! How.......when........did that happen!

One day you too will be old like me. Your kids will be all grown up. Will you have a yardstick list complete? Will it even be on paper? Will your kids look like the result of your yardstick list? We can't know the future. We can't really change the future. And our kids have their own freewill, so we can't make them be anything really. But we can do our best as parents to steward them as the gift from God that they are. We can have a plan, and in our imperfect way attempt to teach and train them as God commanded us to. One day........hopefully when I'm much older..........I'll stand before God and be accountable for my parenting. I won't be accountable for my kids' actions, but I will be accountable for the way I trained, taught, parented them. Do you have your list yet? Do you have a plan?

My oldest daughter gave up her mary janes many years ago. In a couple of days she will put on fancy white shoes and the most beautiful white gown. She will walk down the aisle and become Steven's wife. I blinked and it happened. She isn't playing dress up.........this is for real. Did I do my best? Did I teach her all I could. Did I fail miserably as a parent? These are my questions and concerns. It went too fast..........I need more time...........If only I could............

Your child is growing out of his/her shiny shoes faster than you think. Make a plan. Make a yardstick list today.