Wet Cement

As a homeowner, there’s always something to do. Always something to fix, repair, or update. One of those upgrades on our former house was our driveway. It was pathetic it really needed to be replaced.

Three things I know about concrete: it’s hard, it’s expensive, and it will inevitably crack in the wrong spot! We paid $7,100 to have our driveway redone. Ouch.
It was an amazing process to watch these men rip out and replace my driveway. I saw them busting up the old cement and hauling it away, laying out the forms, bringing in underlayment, laying out reinforcement rod, and more.

As I watched from the window, they often took smoke breaks, they were shooting the breeze with the city officials, and carefully surveyed the slope of the drive. I watch them sit on my lawn and leisurely lunch. They asked me my opinions about curves and where things should go. They took their time to meticulously spread the underlayment. They were very professional, detailed and meticulous. Yet they took the time. For 7,100 bucks, take all the time you want. Just do it right!

However, something fundamental changed when the cement truck arrived. No more smoke breaks, no more chatting with the customer, no more dilly-dallying and leaning against a shovel. The look in their eyes changed. The movements they made were very intentional and it seemed as if they were counting every step. They were under control but clearly under the gun. Why? The clock is ticking when working with wet cement.

I believe our children are like wet cement. We can leisurely set up the baby room, leisurely pick out furniture, paint colors, and more. But when the baby has arrived, it’s go time. Why? Kids are like wet cement.

Studies claim that a child’s basic moral foundation is established by age 5. A child’s basic understanding of God, his attributes, and their belief in the Scriptures are established by age 13. One researcher concluded, “it’s fair to say that what someone believes at age 13 will likely be what they will believe when they die.”

Therefore, there is an urgency to invest in our children spiritually. I want to seize the day while they are pliable, moldable and receptive. The cement frames that I establish while they are very young will determine, in great part, how the cement will turnout.

Can mistakes in cement be fixed? Can repairs be made to cement that has already hardened? Absolutely. It requires busting up hard cement with some pretty intense tools. That sounds expensive. That sounds painful.

I would think that the wise person would lay out their forms with a great intentionality. The wise person would think very strategically as to how to work with the cement when it’s still wet. Or as they say in cement work, “do it right the first time.”

That’s us. As parents, we have a narrow and an ever shortening window of opportunity to effectively do our part in shaping our kids in a manner worthy of the Lord.

Kids are like wet cement. May we keep that on the top of our mind.

• Recall: How are children like wet cement?
• Reflect: Are you being intentional and strategic in imparting spiritual truths to your children?
• Respond: What strategy can you use to intentionally impart spiritual truth to your children?
• Rethink: What are you doing right now to urgently pour into your children spiritually?