00:00You know, today is going to be a fantastic day.
00:04My 16-year-old daughter is taking me to Denver, Colorado,
00:07and we are going to have an amazing day in the city
00:10doing things we like to do together.
00:13And we're going to cap it all off tonight by going to a rock concert.
00:18And it's going to be awesome. I can't wait.
00:20It's something her and I do.
00:23When bands come through town, we go to the concert, and we have a blast.
00:27And I want to remind you to spend time with your kids
00:32because there's a kind of joy in parenting that the world, in my opinion,
00:37does not talk about enough.
00:40People talk about their children like they're mostly stressed,
00:44mostly expense, mostly lost freedom, and mostly exhaustion.
00:50But that is not the full truth.
00:53Children bring life into a home.
00:55They bring laughter, questions, energy, surprise,
01:00and a kind of wonder that many adults lose without even realizing it.
01:06A child can be amazed by a bug on a sidewalk,
01:10a cloud in the sky,
01:11or a story they've heard a hundred times.
01:15And somehow, if you let it,
01:19that wonder can wake something back up in you too.
01:23It can remind you that life is not only about pressure,
01:28deadlines, money, and surviving one more week.
01:32Life is about joy.
01:34It's about connection.
01:37And it's about love that is close enough to be felt.
01:44Now, in my opinion,
01:46that is one of the greatest gifts of being a parent.
01:50You get to stand near a life while it's unfolding.
01:53You get to watch a human grow in front of you.
01:57You get to hear their questions,
02:00see the changes,
02:01and witness a child slowly become who they are going to be.
02:06And that is not a small thing.
02:09That is some of the deepest honors of life.
02:14A lot of people spend years chasing meaning somewhere far away,
02:18thinking it must be found in something bigger,
02:21louder, or more impressive.
02:25Meanwhile, some of the richest meaning in life
02:28is sitting right in front of them at the dinner table,
02:31asking them to look up for a moment and pay attention.
02:37You know, a child reaching for your hand is not a small moment.
02:42A child wanting to tell you about their day is not a small moment.
02:48A child laughing because you gave them 30 real seconds of your full attention
02:54is not a small moment.
02:57These things may look ordinary while they are happening,
03:01but they are not ordinary at all.
03:04They are the building blocks of memory.
03:07They're the moments that shape what a child carries in their heart.
03:11Your children may not remember every gift you bought them,
03:16but they will remember how life felt around you.
03:20They will remember whether your presence felt warm.
03:23They will remember whether your home felt safe.
03:27They're going to remember whether they felt like they,
03:31like they mattered.
03:34That's why your time matters so much.
03:38Your time says things your mouth never could.
03:43Your time tells your kids they are worth stopping for.
03:47Your time tells them they're worth listening to.
03:51Your time tells them love is not only a word people say.
03:55Love is something that shows up.
03:58It's something that stays in the room.
04:01It's something that listens, notices, laughs, helps, and remains close.
04:09And this reaches even a deeper level when you think about the heart of God.
04:15Because God is not distant from his children.
04:18He's near.
04:19He listens.
04:21He cares.
04:22He does not treat people like interruptions.
04:25He draws close to them.
04:28So when you're present with your kids,
04:31you are reflecting something beautiful about him.
04:35You're giving your children a living picture, however imperfect,
04:40of love that pays attention.
04:44That is a holy thing.
04:46That is not a side part of life.
04:50It's part of your personal calling.
04:54And Jesus understood this.
04:57When others treated children like they were less important than the serious work,
05:02Jesus stopped everything and welcomed them.
05:06He made room for them.
05:08He blessed them.
05:10And he showed clearly that children matter in the kingdom of God.
05:14That should change the way we think about parenting.
05:19Raising children is not a distraction from a meaningful life.
05:23It's one of the clearest ways a meaningful life is lived.
05:28It's one of the clearest ways love becomes real.
05:33And the beautiful part?
05:35Well, the beautiful part is this.
05:38Your kids don't need a perfect version of you.
05:41They don't need you to turn every day into some unforgettable event.
05:46They need the real version of you.
05:49They need your attention.
05:52They need your steadiness.
05:54They need your willingness to step into their world and be with them while they are still small enough to
06:01want that from you so freely.
06:05That is what makes parenting so special.
06:09It pulls you out of yourself.
06:11It reminds you that some of the best parts of life are not about being admired.
06:17They're about being present.
06:19And one day, one day these things that feel normal now will shine in your memory.
06:26The little talks.
06:28The car rides.
06:30The bedtime prayers.
06:32The laughter over things that made absolutely no sense.
06:36I love that moment.
06:38I love it when we all laugh together.
06:40We get so crazy in our family sometimes.
06:43I just, I love that.
06:45You know, I also love the random questions.
06:49The small routines.
06:51Because what feels ordinary today is going to become precious later.
06:57So, do not treat these moments like they are in the way of your real life.
07:03Because this is your real life.
07:06This is part of the blessing.
07:09This is part of the beauty.
07:12And this is part of what God has placed in your hands.
07:17So, spend time with your kids.
07:32Spend time with them.
07:34Spend time with them.
07:34Because there is joy there.
07:36Spend time with them.
07:38Because there is life there.
07:40Spend time with your children.
07:42Because some of the deepest meaning you will ever know may not come from what you accomplished in public.
07:50But from who and how you loved in private.
07:55Spend time with them.
07:57Because your presence can become one of the greatest gifts of their childhood.
08:04And if you feel tired or stretched then, do not turn this into shame.
08:10Turn it into invitation.
08:12Start today.
08:15Start simply.
08:17One real conversation.
08:19One shared laugh.
08:21One moment of full attention.
08:24One prayer together.
08:26One decision to be less distracted.
08:29And more present.
08:31And you know what?
08:33God, He can do a lot with that.
08:36And love grows that way.
08:38Families grow that way.
08:42Memories grow that way.
08:46Spend time with your kids.
08:49And do not treat that like a smaller life.
08:52It's not a smaller life.
08:55It's one of the richest lives a person can live.
08:58Because when you are truly present with your children,
09:02you are not stepping away from what matters.
09:06You're standing right in the middle of it.
09:11You're standing right in the middle of it.
09:12My name is Douglas Vandergraaf.
09:14And I believe in Jesus Christ.
09:17God bless you, my friends.
09:20Every single one of you.
09:25Bye-bye.
09:26Bye-bye.
09:27Bye-bye.
09:27Bye-bye.
09:27Bye-bye.
09:27Bye-bye.
09:28Bye-bye.
09:28Bye-bye.
09:28Bye-bye.
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