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LAC Families-

Are you a fool!? I’m not calling you a fool, I’m only asking if you’re engaging your inner foolishness enough. Look, I have been writing to you all about how to think about your job as parents during quarantine. It has turned into what I believe are some helpful tips, ideas, and redirects for parenting your kids no matter what age. What I haven’t done too much of, is encouraging you to let loose!! It still amazes me that God let me become a parent. Literally all I had was my own experiences, some less than scientific observations of other parents and a few books to help guide me. As a self-proclaimed-pseudo-semipro-academic, I really focused on all of the books and knowledge to help me be the best parent. I sent surveys to friends, asked questions, created strategies. I really believed that this was going to be the way that I was going to be the best dad ever. Here’s the thing, I sounded more like a teacher and less like a parent. And though teaching is a part of being a parent, so is foolishness.

What I’m talking about are those moments when you say yes to something that is not prudent, planned, or strategic. The moments that you go out to eat instead of staying home. The moments to create a sense of wonder, passion, astonishing, wild, enjoyable, life-giving sense of adventure. Now more than ever, especially in light of all the conflict in our world, we need to step into the moments of joy and adventure with our kids. We, as parents, should sense the moments that capture our kid’s hearts, illuminate the sparkle in their eyes and lean into their unpredictable adventure. This life is an amazing and beautiful adventure. Even more, it is an amazing and beautiful adventure with Jesus. We don’t even have to be perfect at it we just have to try. I remember getting to the place where I thought I was comfortable putting down work and playing with my daughter. She loved making up stories and playing with her dolls. The problem is that I wasn’t good at it. Ask my daughter, I was (am) so bad at playing dolls that one afternoon when Rhyen was playing with her dolls, I stopped what I was doing because I saw an opportunity to spend time with her. I asked her what we were going to play and she said, “Its ok dad, I’m having fun playing by myself.” I said, “It’s ok, I can stop what I’m doing to play with you. Let me play with you, what’s the story?” She replied, “Dad, it’s ok. You’re not really good at playing Barbies. You’ve tried, you’re just better at other things.” See, you don’t even have to be good at it. But somedays you gotta let your foolishness lead. Go do something unexpected with your kids, you won’t regret it.

Blessings
Chuck Hunt
Associate Pastor of Family Ministries