Generation NeXt Parenting

We are travelers...

I'm reading a book I HIGHLY recommend. It's called Knit Together by Debbie Macomber. Here is a good quote: "For the woman who has a relationship with God, her confidence comes from the quiet assurance that she is walking according to a divine plan." p. 69

It's funny, because a couple paragraphs below this is a story that I've heard for the second time in less that 12 hours. I'd never heard it before ... and then twice, first from an audiobook by John Maxwell and then in Knit Together. Hmmmm ... that sounds like part of a divine plan to me. Here is the story, via Knit Together.

"A story is told about a young man who traveled to a distant city. As he approached the city gates, he came to a wise man standing there. He stopped and asked the man what kind of people lived in this city.

'What were the people like in the city you just left?' the wise man asked.

'Crooks and swindlers looking to cheat me at every turn,' the young man said.

The wise man sadly shook his head and said that this city was filled with those same kinds of people. Discouraged, the young man turned away.

Soon afterward, the wise man was approached by a second traveler, who asked about the city. Once again, the wise man asked about the people in the city from where the traveler had come. the traveler smiled broadly. 'Generous and kind,' he said. The wise man smiled back and told the second traveler that this city was filled with those very kinds of people. The traveler, pleased and excited, hurried to enter the city gates.'

As this story demonstrates, life is what we make of it. Some many of us are like this traveler. We find exactly what we are looking for in life." p. 69-70

So, I have to ask, what are you looking for?

I'm looking for a deep, intimate relationship with Jesus.
An awesome, happy marriage.
Strong relationships with my teens.
Good interaction with friends and family.
Ways to give hope to the hopeless.
A happy peaceful home.
A loving church.
A successful and exciting career.

Wow, and that's just what I have. It's not that I don't have challenges, but the good stuff outweighs the hard stuff by far!

posted by Tricia Goyer @ 10:20 AM