The Respect Dare: Day 3

(feeling a little lost? See what this is all about)

Parents have a lot of responsibilities--more than we really grasp.

Just take a minute to imagine that you suddenly were kicked out of the house and told to fend for yourself--make a mental list of everything you'd have to think about. What would you eat? What would you wear? Where would you live? Get an education? Get a job? Would you have insurance? How would you get around? When would you take care of your house?

And then, imagine you were given a kid, and told that this human being was now yours--their future in the world was now your responsibility (on top of all those other things).

Yeah. And you thought school was stressful.

Your parents already have enough stress to drain their strength.

Proverbs 17:22 says, "A happy heart is like good medicine, but a broken spirit drains your strength."

Be good medicine today--have a happy heart :) As you do what your parents tell you to (day 1) without complaining or arguing (day 2), obey with a cheerful spirit and a smile. As one of the youth pastors at my church likes to say, when your parents ask you to do something, respond with "I'd love to!"--and don't be sarcastic about it.

Now, don't be cheesy or overdo this one. Be real about it. Take it seriously. And even if your parents don't cheer up right away--even if they don't seem to notice!--don't get discouraged. After all, medicine doesn't always work right away. Sometimes it takes time.

Some of you may be thinking, "Okay, my parents don't seem stressed. At all. In fact, they seem pretty cheerful." And that's great! I've been there, too. And that's all the more reason to be cheerful with them.

PS: A fun way to remember this one is to draw a little smilie face on your hand! :)