Chaos theory...

I saw an article in the Washington Post Local section this morning by Tracy Grant entitled, "And then, of course, there's chaos theory." She shares her amazement that everything we teach our kids eventually sinks in... Here's a piece of her article:

Today, class, we are going to talk about the science of parenting... First, let's tackle osmosis. For those of us who are more than a few years removed from high-school biology, osmosis basically is the movement of fluids from an area of greater concentration to an area of lesser concentration through a barrier. Think of it as roughly an explanation of why basements flood...

But osmosis also explains how the little parenting exercises that we perform in a seemingly endless loop suddenly yield results. See, children are empty vessels. They are, by definition, the area of lesser concentration. What we expose them to, bit by bit, drip by drip, fills them up.

Those nightly prayers said by rote in a bored voice? One evening, they yield a profound conversation about the nature of heaven. Those endless hikes in the woods...? One day your child will remark, "It's great we live in a place with so many trees: it's really pretty here."...

---
As my children age, I have loved the moments when my children make it clear they really were present and  listening! I think Tracy's right. Do you have any stories of these kinds of experiences - either in your own childhood, or with your children? Lift these in prayer, and give thanks for all those who made sure what was important sank in.

So, my friends, keep at it. You're doing a great job with your osmosis!
Next week's topic: inertia...

Blessings!
Rev. Meredith