People love stories. They love telling them, hearing them, watching them and living them. Part of the
reason children love to dress up is to pretend to be in a different story. My little ones loved dressing up
like firemen, doctors, and superheros. They wanted to be heroes who helped other people. They liked
dressing up like pirates, too. Not because they wanted a chance to plunder others (arg!), but because of
the adventure they associate with pirates.
We dress up the way we want to be seen to experience something different than our normal everyday
lives. What adventures do your children long to have? What kind of things need to happen in your
children’s lives for them to become the kind of heroes they long to be?
When you see a longing for specific kinds of adventure and influence in your children (helping and
rescuing people or animals, building something that will be of benefit to others, bringing joy to others
and making a difference in the lives of the people around them), take the opportunity to foster those
character traits in them. If you have a child who loves to help others, give them a chance to serve others
at church in the background, to learn about the medical field, and get them toys that encourage that
kind of play. If you have a child who is always trying to teach someone something new, get them books
about the things they love in order to teach others those facts, and get them plugged in as a Teacher’s
assistant in Sunday school for younger kids. If you have a child who is always looking for an adrenaline
rush, take him hiking, teach him how to ride on bike trails, and give him safe opportunities to learn
about careers where he can take risks to help others.
The more we nurture our children’s natural wiring, gifting, and desires for story and adventure, the
more likely we’ll help them become who God created them to be!
Yet you, LORD, are our Father.
We are the clay, you are the potter;
we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8
What can you do today to nurture your children’s natural bent toward specific kinds of adventures
and help them adventure for Jesus?
