Everything in moderation

“Shrimp, Shrimp, Shrimp!”

This is the chant you will hear all four of our girls shouting whenever it’s time to find a restaurant… and mom is off-duty. Somehow we’ve formed a seafood bond that mom doesn’t share and that’s OK with us (and it’s OK with her, too).

So I’ll make it for dinner occasionally and we’ll go to Red Lobster on dates if the timing is right. This past Wednesday night was just that, the perfect time. I took out Nicole and Bekah and they ate; So. Much. Shrimp. I couldn’t keep up with them. We haven’t covered the “everything in moderation” devo yet…

Then, somewhere between our stops at Red Lobster, Home Depot and Walmart, Bekah taught herself how to text using emojis?!?! and sent this wonderfully crafted message to Mom:

Just like that, as I was basking in the big culinary victory of my parenting career, it was overshadowed by the fact that Bekah will soon be fully immersed in the Digital Age of Generation Z.

As great as shrimp are, and all the ways they can be prepared (insert Bubbah’s shpeel here), what’s more important is to shepherd her and her sisters to use technology as a tool for life, and not to see it as life-itself. You know, that whole “everything in moderation” thing.

I Corinthians 6:12- “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.”

What safeguards can we put in place with our kids for them to grow a healthy perspective here?

Off the top of my head, the example of Mom and Dad will probably be up there on the list. If we (speaking to parents) view technology as of most importance, then they will too. If we ignore them for our phones, they will do that us and their friends. If what is happening in our palm deserves more of our attention than the life sitting in our lap, then we have failed today.

Tomorrow, let’s put our kids before our devices and every day after that, too.

#family #father #parenting