Mom Heart Moments #188

The righteous person behaves in integrity; blessed are his children after him. . . . Even a young man is known by his actions, whether his activity is pure and whether it is right.

WHEN JOY WAS TWELVE, one of my friends desperately needed help with the children at the Mom’s Day Out program at church. I asked Joy if she would consider being the assistant, and she willingly agreed. When she got to the program, she found out she would be helping with sixteen toddlers. You can imagine all that entailed! She would come home and tell me stories of keeping the children entertained, clean, and under control.

Joy is very strong-willed in the best way, and even as a young girl she was self-motivated to accomplish whatever she had set her mind to do. So for this job, she planned what toys and special activities to bring; she knew each child’s name, personality, and likes; and she threw herself into the job to do it the best that she could. The women in charge of the program had nothing but praise for her. The second year, they felt comfortable putting her, with an assistant, in charge of the toddlers and giving her a raise, because she was so diligent and capable and had earned their trust.

Joy worked there three years and put away a very nice nest egg for when she would later go to Biola University at seventeen. I think Joy’s time of working in what others might see as a rather difficult and thankless job not only strengthened her will but also created in her a sense of the value of being diligent.

What opportunities are you encouraging your children toward that might help them become more responsible and diligent?