Every tree is known by its own fruit

“Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are.” This old adage has much gospel truth within it.  How and where you are rooted show the way you are rooted show the way you will grow and determine the kind and quality of fruit you will bear.  We get a certain degree of support and nourishment from our friends and associates and thus reflect their influence.  Where you turn for information upon which to base decisions says something about your approach to life.

Going a step further, we can apply this to family life.  More than anyone else, parents are the initial and most influential source of development and formation for their children. The home is the “soil” where they will take root – the soil  will probably have the most significant impact on the kind of fruit the children will bear.

It stands to reason, then, that parents who are rooted in Christ will bear the fruit of children who are secure in who they are and who are open to the Lord. So the question is “How am I doing in giving my children the proper grounding in the Lord?”

The answer does not have to be grandiose.  Sometimes, the smallest things make the biggest impact.  Let your children see you praying.  Every now and then, share something you think God has said to you in prayer.  By your own acts of mercy, show them how forgiveness brings life and healing.  Even something as minor as saying  ” I forgive you ” instead of ” That is okay ” can make a big difference.

Remember, your goal is to help your children find their security and nourishment in the Lord.  That happens as you provide the right kind of environment. Then, when their world expands beyond the family, children will look for sources that will continue to nourish the growth you have started.  They may try some other paths, but they will always know what is truly capable of producing the wholeness and peace they long for.  Be assured, your efforts at forming and evangelizing your children will be with them wherever they go.

-word amongs us