I’m headed to Montreal today with a group from Revolution, so I thought I’d turn it over to Jamie Ivey in my absence. I’ve never actually met Jamie, but I “met” her a few years ago through a radio contest a friend was in; I started following her blog and recently had the opportunity to guest post on her space as well.
You can see travel photos, updates, etc here or here.
OK, bye now!
Recently one of our favorite babysitters stopped by to tell us goodbye. Over the years we have had many babysitters that we love leave us for bigger and better things. College, husbands, and other jobs all seem to be more important than us! This time our babysitter was leaving to go overseas and work as a teacher.
As she stood in our living room and my kids and I hugged her neck and told her that we loved her, I thought it would be great for us to pray over her before she left. Yes she’s going to teach school, but her ultimate goal is to tell others about Jesus while she’s there. As we got ready to pray Deacon looked up at her and said “Do you think you might die while you are there?”. Her and I kinda looked at each other and then answered in the best way we knew how to for a seven year old. We told him that she probably wouldn’t, but, yes she could. He nodded and in his sweetest prayer asked God to keep her safe and not let her die when she tells people about Jesus.
Aaron and I desire for our kids to grow up with an understanding that there’s more to this world than what they see in Austin, Texas. That there are lives that are lived in fear of death because of their beliefs. That there are children that don’t have access to water from their faucet whenever they want. That there are countries that don’t let girls go to school. We want them to know the world for what it is, and not think everything looks like their surroundings.
Here are a few ways that we are trying to figure this out around here.
#1 This sounds so elementary, but we have a world map in our kids room. This isn’t just for decoration, but yet it’s for us to point out places around the world as we talk about them. When we pray for our missionary friends, we take it further and actually find the country they live in.
#2 We have pictures hung up of friends that serve in other countries in our window by our dining room table. This way as we pray we ask our kids to pick who they want to pray for. We talk about these people and update our kids on their lives and ministries. They see their faces as they pray for them.
#3 We sponsor 3 kids through Compassion International and actually took our 9 year old to meet one of them in Haiti this year. Their pictures are hanging by the dining room table, and we know where they live on our world map. These are kids just like them in so many ways, and yet so different in so many ways as well.
By no means are we experts in this area, but we’re figuring it out one day at a time as well. My number one advice would be to talk with your kids about these things. You can put maps up and pictures of missionary friends all day long, but if you never talk to your kids about these places and people they will be just that, people and places, and not someone or someplace that is REAL to them.
Just like when my kids prayed over their babysitter as she left to go across a giant ocean to tell people about Jesus. She’s a REAL person to them, and their worldview was just expanded by praying over her, loving her, and knowing exactly where she lives on our big map in Cayden’s room.
——————————————————————-
Jamie Ivey lives in Austin with her husband Aaron, who is the worship pastor at The Austin Stone Community Church, and their four kids. She loves to read good books, eat Mexican food, and go on dates with her man. She’s thankful for the grace she receives each day as she parents her children and navigates through this big crazy world. You can find her blogging at DreamingBigDreams.
