This morning while we were getting ready to go to church Tanner told me that he didn't like church. I told him it was a good thing that church likes him. In reply:
Tanner: I hope Heavenly Father and Jesus still love me. (Pause) I have been naughty.
Me: What have you done?
Tanner: Pushing, whining and throwing fits.
Me: When did you do that?
Tanner: For days and days.
Needless to say, he made me laugh. He's really a good kid and he's trying so hard. Last night after trick-or-treating while sorting through his candy he took out all his Reese's peanut butter cups to save for Ethan (since they're Ethan's favorites) and he also put aside some things he thought Bradon would like. How sweet is that?
Today in church we had a combined Priesthood/Relief Society meeting focused around missionary work. We learned that there are 13 boys ages 6-7 (Ethan's age) in our ward. There are 25 boys ages 4-5 (Tanner's age), and almost 30 boys under the age of 3. The Young Men's President talked about what we need to do to prepare these boys for missionary service. I got a little choked up thinking about my mission and what an incredibly difficult and rewarding time that was for me. Completing my mission is one of the most important things I have ever done and that service has continued to bring me blessings some 11 years later.
But more important than that I really felt the weighty responsibility that is mine as the mother of three, soon to be four, boys. My full-time mission was important, but my mission as a mother is even more important. I'm with them more than anyone else and I have the capacity to influence them for good or ill. I need to work more on influencing them for good and I have a lot of work ahead of me.
Currently a mission costs $450 a month. If a sixteen year old young man were to start saving now for his mission he would need to save $299 a month to have the full amount saved by the time he turns 19.. An eight year old boy needs to save $81 a month and a newborn baby would need to save $47 a month to have the money saved. Of course, those figures are assuming that the amount needed for a mission won't go up (unlikely) and also that your money doesn't earn interest, but that is still a lot of money!
I really hope and pray that my boys will grow up having the desire to serve a mission. I have so much that I need to teach them!
2 comments:
I've had many of these same thoughts while contemplating trying to raise three righteous boys. What a responsibility! And a blessing. "Miles and miles to go before I sleep..."
And Tanner's comments having been making me smile all morning. :) Funny kid.
I love your thoughts! Good to know how much my boys need for their missions...I think I feel poorer already! :)
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