When a newborn is put into the hands of a parent for the first time, that parent has 936 weeks before that child turns 18.
- 936 Saturdays to go on adventures.
- 936 Sundays to worship together.
- 936 Mondays to seize the week.
- 936 Wednesdays to get over the hump of the week.
936 weeks. They are a gift.
While parenting doesn’t end at age 18, it is a sizable transitional time. I got my children to work on a math problem with me last week to determine how many weeks were left until they turned 18. We then put a penny in a mason jar for every week remaining.
I’ve heard of parents who take a penny out of the jar every week at a specific time.
While it seems like a somber ritual, it reminds parents that children are a gift (Ps. 127:3) and the time in the home is relatively short and should be used with wisdom (Eph 5:15-16).
As the pennies decrease over the years, it is a reminder that in parenting, the days often seem long but the years seem short. The time goes by quickly. Every week, I am investing a week of my child’s life into something. As I take that penny out of the jar, I am depositing it somewhere. As a steward of what God has given me in the gift of my children, am I spending these weeks wisely?
- Am I teaching my children regarding righteousness (Gen. 18:19)?
- Am I teaching them to put their hope in God (Ps. 78:7)?
- Am I bringing them up in the instruction of the Lord (Eph. 6:4)?
- Am I modeling a love for the LORD in front of them (Deut. 6:5-7)?
As I write this, two of my jars are half empty. Another one of my jars is one-third empty.
How will I invest my remaining time with them?
[For more on this thought, check out the sermon “Teach Your Children Diligently.”]
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.
Hello Travis, my name is Eryn and I wrote the original 936 Pennies blog post. I wanted to drop in and thank you so much for sharing your story. What an incredible practice for your children, to count those remaining weeks themselves! I can only imagine how that has helped them to grasp a biblical view of the time God has given us, and the importance of investing it wisely. Finding this post today was a blessing to me. Thank you.
Thanks, Eryn. Your post has definitely made some traction. I heard and read that analogy in many different places. Thank you for writing it down and for encouraging me.