There’s no better feeling in the world than to hear your own child say “thanks” for doing something that’s good for them – but they didn’t necessarily appreciate it in the beginning!  There are things you do for them, and things you make them do that they will resist with every ounce of immaturity in them!

Think about it; brush your teeth, eat your vegetables, do your homework, clean your room, etc.  Kids don’t really ‘get’ the benefits of such things until they’re older.  And until they do ‘get it,’ life can be a little, well, challenging.

It’s been that way with emergency preparation, too.  Jim and I live what we preach, so we have taught our children the importance of being prepared for emergencies – and we know they get tired of hearing it sometimes!  Emergency preparation is one of those ‘bummer’ topics kids would rather not think about. But, second only to teaching them how to love and serve Jesus, this is something we consider a loving parental responsibility.

Sometimes you wonder if you will ever have the satisfaction of hearing a ‘thank you’….in this life, anyway!

But I remember clearly some years ago, when Claire, my middle daughter, hugged me tightly and in a moment of exceptional maturity and contemplation said “thanks, Mom…. because you and Dad have prepared for emergencies and taught us how to prepare, I am not afraid of the future.”

Moments like that makes it all worth it.

Claire Bakker’s 20th Birthday