Screen Time

     I am a huge fan of "screen time".  Sad to say that in our current society this typically means watching movies, sitting in front of a computer or trying to carry on a conversation with one person while texting to another simultaneously.  The kind of "screen time" I am referring to started in my home right after we moved into our new house five years ago.  I didn't pick out much in the new house, but I did request a screened in porch as well as screens in EVERY window of the house.  My kind of "screen time" usually takes place every spring and autumn when the temperatures are just right.  My girls will come to me, the great meteorologist, at bedtime and ask if it is an "open window" night.  They love sleeping with their windows open and hearing the sound of crickets or of cars passing.

     On one such evening I was making the usual nightly rounds from one daughter's room to the next and plopping myself on the bed trying to answer all of life's most difficult questions.  I still don't know how water towers work, but I gave an impressive answer.  I may not see the sense in learning the metric system, but I still told them that we wouldn't be skipping that lesson.  I gave some very good answers on my first three stops, and felt confident that # 4 would go smoothly.  This daughter's room faces the north side of the house and the cool breezes were so refreshing.  I found her with arms folded up on the window sill with her face smushed right into the screen soaking up as much fresh air as possible.  It looked fun to me so I joined her in a smushed screen face contest. As we stared out at the front yard I asked if there was anything she wanted to talk about.  I was prepared for a Miley Cyrus trivia question or maybe a  joke from her new book, but I was NOT prepared for the question I got.

     She looked at me with such a serious face and said, "Dad, do you ever wonder what your purpose in life is"?  My brain shifted into overdrive.  In my mind I am thinking, "Are you kidding me?  This is what you are thinking about at bedtime"??  I took a deep breath to buy some time and then prayed one of those incredibly fast prayers like,"OhDearLordPleaseHelpMeAnswerThisQuestionCorrectlySoAsNotToScarMyChildForLife"!!!!
I asked her why she was wondering about this and she said that she felt like she was the only one in the family without a purpose.  She began to go through the other five members of our family and tell me her perceptions of what they do well and how it was of service to others.  She just didn't feel like she had anything to offer.

     I was sad at first as I listened, but then I realized that God was giving me a wonderful opportunity at the end of the day to AFFIRM my daughter.  I don't have any sons, but I do know that girls need affirmation and as a Dad I am highly qualified for this job.  I first shared with her how proud I was of the fact that she was 7 years old and searching for purpose in her life.  I confessed that I never really considered such things until much later in life and always felt like I wasted so many years just coasting through each day with no real direction.  I then began to speak words of encouragement over this girl of mine and telling her all of the things that SHE does well.  As I began to rattle off my long list I could instantly see a transformation in her countenance.  She had gone from a somber, serious face to a smiling more relaxed look.  I quickly realized the power of encouraging words and vowed to not only begin to find the positives in my kids, but also to TELL THEM to their faces.  Furthermore, I explained to her that the gifts she has are God-given specifically for her to realize her purpose in life.  She doesn't ever have to worry about not having one of her sister's talents because she doesn't have the same things to accomplish in life as they do.

     Life seemed to all make sense in that moment.  I went to my bedroom that night and opened the window.  Before I fell asleep I moved as close to the screen as possible and began thanking God for my precious children who on this day taught me an important lesson.  I asked for His forgiveness for not spending enough time searching for my daily purpose in this life.  I fell asleep with a cool breeze on my face and the peace in my heart of knowing that tomorrow was a new day to accomplish all that God has in store.  That's MY kind of "screen time"!