How To Support Parents at Christmas (cont.)
3. Encourage them.
Last up, here is another important step. As you look to the new year, how can you prioritize encouraging parents? Communicate well about information they need, yes. But how can you keep telling them they matter in their kids’ lives?
Recently we ran into a pastor friend whose daughters are now grown. He said, “I pretty much just wanted to live in my shed during the teen years, because it was like World War 3 in my home.” This may sound silly… But knowing that this respected pastor immensely struggled too in these tumultuous years helped tremendously. Sometimes parents just need to hear that it will be alright and that they matter.
You know what helps me at Christmas? Knowing that we all need Jesus. These words from my favorite carol, “Oh, Holy Night,” sum it up perfectly:
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born
Maybe the best thing we all can do in these final days before Christmas is remember that we all need this Savior. I think parents sometimes just need to hear that we need him the same way they do.
Thanks for loving students and for offering support to parents at Christmas and all year through!
This article was originally published on YouthMinistry.com, © Group Publishing, a division of David C Cook.
