One of the things I've been thinking about lately is how easy it is for summer to become all about us.
The bucket lists. The vacations. The pool days. The camps. The fun.
And while I love all of those things and fully plan to enjoy them with my family this summer, I've also found myself wrestling with a different question:
- How do we raise kids who genuinely notice other people?
Because if I'm honest, that doesn't always come naturally. My kids are really good at noticing what they want. A snack. A toy. A turn. A trip to Disney. And truthfully, I'm not always that different.
But when I read through the Gospels, one thing stands out over and over again about Jesus. He noticed people.
He noticed the people others overlooked. The people sitting alone. The people hurting. The people who felt unseen.
And not only did He notice them, He moved toward them.
As we've settled into this new home and started talking about the kind of life we want to build here, I've realized that's something I want our family to be known for. Not just hospitality when it's convenient or generosity when it's easy, but hearts that are actively looking for opportunities to love people well.
So this summer we're trying something new.
Each week, one of my kids will get to choose a person to serve. We'll spend some time talking and praying about who might need encouragement and what would help them feel seen and loved. Then we'll come up with a simple way to serve them together.
Some weeks it might be baking cookies for a neighbor. Some weeks it might be writing a note to a teacher, helping an elderly neighbor with yard work, or dropping off flowers to a friend who's having a hard week.
The activity itself isn't really the point.
The point is helping our kids develop the habit of looking beyond themselves.
Because kindness isn't usually something we stumble into. It's something we practice. The more we train ourselves to look for needs, the more naturally we'll begin to see them.
My hope isn't simply that we'll complete twelve acts of service by the end of the summer. My hope is that this becomes part of who our family is. That my kids begin to ask questions like, "Who could use encouragement today?" or "How can I help?" without being prompted.
I want them to understand that loving people well doesn't require grand gestures. Most of the time, it's the small things that leave the biggest impact.
A meal.
A note.
A helping hand.
A conversation.
A reminder that someone isn't alone.
That's the heart behind this Summer of Service Challenge.
If you'd like to join us, I've created a simple printable to help your family track your acts of service throughout the summer. My prayer is that together we can raise kids who don't just know about kindness, but who practice it regularly.
And if you decide to participate, I'd love to see it. Tag me on Instagram so I can cheer your family on and share some of the creative ways you're loving your communities this summer.
Here's to raising kids who notice people and love them well.
