God Cares, I Care

PHOTO CAPTION: Caring is spending time together and enjoying each other’s company.

As parents, it’s easy to be just a little frightened about our child’s safety even if you are normally a trusting person. Yet as crazy as the world may seem or as frightening, God has big plans for your child and for each one of us. He gives us dreams that we can follow and He will help us accomplish those dreams. So even when you are frightened about your child’s safety or future, entrust him to God’s faithful care and dream away.

The biggest dreams that God gives each one of us is to follow Him with all our hearts and to love others. He wants us to be a part of His Story. When we are a part of His Story, we make history because God’s story is forever.

Have you ever watched young children play and pretend? It’s fascinating to watch as they act our different roles. Preschoolers often dream of being everything from a superhero or princess to a mom, dad, president, firefighter or ______. There is no end to their imaginations and their dreams. Some kids even dream of being lions or another majestic animal. And young children believe that they can grow up to accomplish great things too! I’m not sure how it happens, maybe it’s when someone tells us that we can’t, but at some point, we start to let go of our dreams. We begin to doubt the their reality. Life sets in. We have responsibilities and our dreams get lost in the middle of our day to day tasks. I guess in some ways, that is good. After all we can’t live in a pretend world forever, but I wonder, have we let go of some of our God-given dreams? Have we been told we can’t so many times that we no longer want to try? Let’s ask God to renew our dreams.

One dream that I think God desires for everyone is to know that He cares for us. If we could take that thought with us everywhere and into everything we do, I think it would transform our lives. If we lived unafraid because we trusted God’s care completely, what could we do? What kind of impact could we make on the world around us? That’s exactly what I want to do! I want to live my life resting in God’s care and living unafraid. I want to be unafraid to love, to care, to give and to tell the world that Jesus is alive! I want to stop worrying about all the little things that interrupt my day and my plans and start living God’s plan. I want to care because God cares. If I truly loved others the way that God loves and cares for me, I wonder what would happen?

Do you have BIG dreams? Does you child have BIG dreams? Foster those dreams. Ask God what He wants you to do with them. One of the biggest dreams that God gives each one of us is to love Him and love others. When we do that; when we take God’s amazing love to the world, amazing things happen and lives are changed. Because God cares, we too can care. Let’s take time this week to remember how much God cares for us. Let’s take time to dream and then let’s use those dreams to reach out to someone else and say, “I care!” Maybe you can even tell them, “I believe in your dreams. They are beautiful.”

PARENT PRAYER:
God,
I’m so glad that you care for me. You care for me and you give me dreams to pursue. You have a plan for me and everyday you walk with me helping me to be who you created me to be. Give me eyes to see as you see. Just as you looked at me and you saw something beautiful, help me also to look at others and see something beautiful. I want to see others as you see them and I want to show them your care. Lord, I ask that amazing things would happen as each one of us dares to dream, to care and to live in your love and care everyday. I also ask that my kids would learn to believe in the beauty of their dreams. Help me to encourage those dreams, looking to you to refine and direct each dream they have. You are so good, Lord. Thank you that we can love you and love others. Amen

BIG DREAMS
What are some of your BIG dreams? One of my BIG dreams is to live in the freedom of knowing that God cares for me completely and then allowing that knowledge to transform me in the way I care for others. I also want to use the gifts and abilities that God has given me.

Here are just a couple of dreams that I hope to pursue as God gives me the time and resources to do so.

  • Write another book.
    • Rebuild my website or have someone build it for me.
      • Spend more time with my family.
        • Do some traveling and do a mission’s trip.

          What are your dreams?
    • Give someone a call, text or e-mail just to say you are thinking about them and really listen when they want to talk.
    • Go out to coffee or for dessert with a friend.
      • Send a birthday card.
        • Invite someone over for dinner.
          • Flowers are always nice, from your yard or buy an arrangement somewhere.
            • Make enough soup to share with someone.
              • Give a gift to help someone in need.
                • Volunteer some time in your
community or with a local charity or help a neighbor.
                  • Say it! Speak encouragement.
    • SMALL WAYS TO SAY I CARE
      • Give someone a call, text or e-mail just to say you are thinking about them and really listen when they want to talk.
      • Go out to coffee or for dessert with a friend.
      • Send a birthday card.
      • Invite someone over for dinner.
      • Flowers are always nice, from your yard or buy an arrangement somewhere.
      • Make enough soup to share with someone.
      • Give a gift to help someone in need.
      • Volunteer some time in your community or with a local charity or help a neighbor.
      • Say it! Speak encouragement.
      • Tell someone thank you.

Kid’s Section

STORY: Joseph Has Big Dreams – Genesis 37
This story is about Joseph. Joseph grew up in a big family. Can you guess how many brothers he had? He had eleven brothers. (Count to 11 with your child.) That’s a lot!

One day Joseph’s dad made him a beautiful colorful coat. (Pretend to put on a coat.) Joseph knew His dad loved him. (Give self a hug.) He also knew that God loved him, (Point upwards.) but his brothers didn’t like him. They were jealous which means they thought their dad liked Joseph better than he liked them. The brothers didn’t like Joseph’s BIG dreams either. Joseph’s brothers thought his dreams were silly, (Say, “Silly dreams!”) but God gave Joseph his dreams and God would help Joseph be who He wanted him to be. He had a very special plan (or job) for him, a plan to save his whole family.

Later Joseph would help his whole family, even his brothers who didn’t like him. God planned for Joseph to grow up and help his family in a big way.

Did you know that God has a special plan for you too? He does. He made you so that you can do many things. God made you so that you can love, learn and grow. He loves you and He has something that you can do now and when you grow up. He made you for a very special reason. You can be sure that God will help you when you ask Him to, just like He helped Joseph.

PRAYER:
Dear God,
You did such a good job when you made the world and when you made me. Thank you for all the beautiful colors. Thank you for my mind, my hands and my feet. I know you care for me and will help me every day. Thank you for loving me. Thank you too, for giving me dreams. Help me to love like you love and be what you want me to be. Amen

MEMORIZE: 1 Peter 5:7 ERV – (Hold hands like holding a book.)
Give – (Extend hands out.)
All your worries – (Shake hands)
To Him – (Point up.)
He – (Point upwards.)
Cares – (Rub arm gently.)
For you – (Give self a hug.)

KNOW: God has something for me to do. He gives BIG dreams.
TALK ABOUT: What do you want to be when you grow up?
ASK: Who cares for me? God cares for me.
AND DO… I can thank God for His care and I can be anything God wants me to be.

FUN IDEAS FOR THIS WEEK

  • Play out different roles with your child this week. Follow their lead. Be a fireman, doctor, baker  or dancer – whatever you wish.
  • Thank God for His love and care and for giving you dreams to follow.