I’ve always believed our children are quite literally on loan from God. We have the responsibility to do everything we can as parents to help our children get to heaven. Our children’s purpose here on earth is to be about their heavenly father’s business.

As a college professsor, I meet a wide variety of young adults whose parents have raised them with different values. Many of the college students I meet are struggling to find a faith of their own and a place and a purpose in God’s kingdom. However, I occasionally meet students whose parents understood they were on loan from God. When I meet students with a faith of their own and an understanding of their purpose on this earth, I am curious about how their parents raised them.

I learned a wonderful parenting strategy by talking to two college students and their parents. When these college students were growing up, their parent used time driving in the car to teach spiritual values through telling short fictional stories about other youth. Once the parent had told the story, he would ask his children to identify if the behavior or motivation of the character in the story represented good choices or bad choices.

As young adults, these children vividly remember the experience of exploring good choices and bad choices. A father created teachable moments by talking about spiritual values with his children while they were driving together in the car. Those teachable moments are still there for all of us today if we will unplug our Ipods, our DVD players, and our other electronic distractions in the car and tune in to developing a meaningful conversation with our children.

After all, our children are on loan from God.

As I was driving home tonight, I saw several different rabbits dart across the rural road I was on. Seeing those rabbits weaving in and out of my headlights reminded me of riding in my dad’s pickup when I was much younger. I can remember leaving a pasture as dusk enveloped us and seeing jack rabbits dart in front of the pickup’s headlights. Dad and I both would have our windows rolled down and the summer breeze would cool the cab of the pickup. I loved those rides with my dad. It never seemed like we talked much (probably because we couldn’t have heard each other over the wind rushing through the cab), but I always felt so special because I spent time with my dad.

This past week I spent time with my family on vacation. On two different evenings, the family sat and watch Professional Bull Riding (PBR). I don’t generally watch bull riding, but it does remind me of growing up and working cattle with my dad. It should be no surpirise that one of the things I enjoyed most about the trip was imaginary bull riding with my nephews. Our bull riding would have looked much more like playing on swings to other people. My nephews, Jalapeno Hal and Little Britches, would saddle up on their swings and ride their bulls for as long as they could. After the bull bucked at least five times (five pushes on the swing), Jalapeno Hal and Little Britches would take turns getting bucked off (jumping from the swing and staggering to the ground) their bulls. I would rate each ride on a scale of 1 to 100 always taking into consideration the difficulty of the bull. I’m sure I enjoyed our imaginary bull riding more than my nephews. We certainly played it several times during the week!

Maybe when my nephews are adults and are swinging their kids, they will remember how special they were to me during our bull riding sessions. I still believe nothing is as important to kids as our undivided attention and love. I believe that because my parents gave me the gift of undivided attention and love. I still remember jack rabbits and hope my nephews will remember bull riding.