I come from a farming family. My great-grandfather purchased our family farm and his son, my grandfather, expanded it even more.
I think it's the farming legacy of my family that instilled in me the value of a long-term investment.
There is an old wise farm saying that has connected with me for years...
Said differently, don't wait to do something today that will have a long-lasting impact years down the road.
Exactly 1 year ago, I wrote about the importance of building relational insurance for your kids.
The big idea was this: A few close friends, who care about your kids, can be the difference between a small hiccup and a big mistake in their lives.
Another way to think about this concept is to build a team of voices that will carry your children through the power-decade of their life and beyond.
Looking back now, I'm so glad that we "planted the tree" 20 years ago of other people who could speak into to lives of our kids besides just mom & dad.
The great thing is, a team of people can look different for every family. The important thing though, is that you get started if you haven't already.
Of course, you'll always want to keep an open dialogue going, between you, your kids, and any team members you bring into your family as well.
Here is a breakdown of all the kinds of people we were fortunate enough to have on our "Family Team" over the years.
The 20-year list is long, but here were many of the benefits I've seen in our kids that were learned from the team that surrounded them.
Fun
Work
Heart
Courage
Patience
Laughter
Adversity
Gratitude
Creativity
Discipline
Forgiveness
Failing Well
Different POV
Follow-through
Hilarious Stories
Lasting Memories
Another ancient saying summarizes it this way: It takes a village to raise a child. I imagine it was an old farming community somewhere that first crafted that idea.
With one eye on your kids and another watching closely for the right team members, I promise that you'll be thankful for the payoff.
The long-term tree-planting effort of building a team around your kids should start today if it hasn't already.
See You Next Friday - Finley
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Helping propel moms & dads of 3 to 13 year-olds to invest in their power-decade of parenting. Father of 3 teenagers and pastor of 20 years turned digital writer.
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