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LAC Families-

Delayed Gratification!! I’m not talking about the intentional type; I mean the ones that get thrust upon us. My wife and I watched the US Track & Field Olympic Trials this past week. The ones that were supposed to have taken place last year. I am so excited for all of those folks that punched their ticket to the Olympics in Tokyo. While we were watching Shannon and I were talking about form and how good form makes running look effortless and bad form makes it look excruciating. Both of us ran track at one point or another. Shannon was a much better runner than I ever was. She both competed D1 in college and coached her HS alma mater alongside one of the top coaches in the country. I digress, but like to brag on her too. As we were talking, we were thinking about what makes good form. Here are a few:

1. Hold your torso straight and vertical, but relaxed
2. Hold your head still, but relax your face and neck.
3. Pump your arms so your hands travel from “hip to lip”, and keep your arms close to your sides.
4. As you pump your arms, keep your shoulders steady but relaxed.

Now I’m not trying to get you to do wind sprints, UGH. I was also surprised by how many times it reminds us to relax. But it made me think about what techniques or tasks do we need to hold to for parenting. Here is a list that I try to remember*:

1. Seek to Understand
2. Show compassion
3. Create healthy boundaries
4. Charting and guiding
5. Launching into adulthood

There are no medals in parenting. There should be no competition. Yet as parents, we have a really high calling to do the absolute best that we can. So much so it feels like an Olympic event. When we forget what techniques make for good form, parenting can feel excruciating, emotionally draining and be really hurtful to relationships. When we remember what makes good form parenting, we can make parenting look effortless, joyful and the results can be really satisfying. We have to put ourselves in a position so succeed. Even when we do, some days will go great and some days will not. Our job is to stay in good form, and relax because God is with you.

Blessings
Chuck Hunt
Associate Pastor of Family Ministries

*Chap & Dee Clark in their book Disconnected: Parenting Teens in a MySpace World