Every year we go to the beach for a week and this year was no different. The week has gone from 7 days down to 5 because a couple years ago I gave up a few days so some of my siblings could have some time there as well. It’s always a great time. This year we went from Tuesday to Saturday and because we live so close to the beach, we went for the day on Sunday at the beginning of the week as well.

I’m not one to relax easily. I don’t know why that is. I’ve heard that you have to quiet your thoughts in order to hear God’s voice speaking to you but I have never gotten to that place. I’m always looking at the clock preparing my next move. There’s always something more important to do than what I’m currently involved in. Usually by the end of the week I’m ready to go home and get on with life!

I was determined to make this week different. On Sunday, instead of planning every second during the day including what time we’d head back to the beach house, shower and head home, I took off my watch and left my phone in the car. I didn’t care about anything – not when to leave, when to shower, when to eat. I couldn’t care if we stayed until midnight.

In this regard, it’s very apparent to me that my kids definitely take after me. Shortly after we got there on Sunday, each child in their own simple way, found their way to me and asked the proverbial question, “When are we leaving tonight?” They weren’t asking because they were bored – they were asking because they didn’t want to leave. This went on all throughout the day at different intervals. And it seemed the younger the child, the more they asked. If I could bury one hatchet, I’d bury this one deep in the ocean sand.

My brilliant plan of relaxing at God’s waterpark failed. Because I’ve kept a ruthless time schedule my whole life it’s all that my kids know. They didn’t act that way because they’re full of anxiety. They acted that way because that’s how they think you’re supposed to act. You see, kids of all ages are very receptive to how we adults live our lives. They know when we don’t live the words we speak. And that get’s us into trouble. We tell them to turn off a particular show, and then later they see us watching a worse one. We don’t want them surfing the “bad” sites on the internet, but late at night when we think no one’s watching, they’ll see us on those sites. We scold them, “Don’t use that language in this house!” Then an hour later they hear us using the same or worse language.

It’s not a matter of what we tell our children, it’s a matter of how we live our lives. Maybe when we figure out that they understand a lot more than we think they do, we’ll begin to see some changes in the youth of today. But it all starts with looking in the mirror and examining our own actions.

I’ve got to run. I have a mirror to check.