Grapes, Pringles, a sandwich (cut just the right way), a yoghurt tube, maybe a frozen juice box. And if you’re feeling particularly organised, a little treat tucked into the corner. Sound familiar?

For many, packing lunch is part of the morning routine. You’re not just throwing food into a box; you’re thinking ahead. Will it fill them up? Will it help them stay focused and energised for the day ahead? Will they actually eat it? You’re feeding them, and yet, every day, in ways far less visible, we’re feeding them something else too. While grapes and sandwiches will carry them through until the afternoon bell, things like kindness, resilience, courage, and faith will carry them through life. These are the things that shape who they become when no one is watching. These are the things they draw on when life is difficult, confusing, or uncertain.

In the Bible, there’s a beautiful verse that says:

“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7)

In other words, the most important things we give our children don’t fit inside a lunchbox. They’re not wrapped in alfoil or placed in zip-lock bags. They’re passed on in conversations at the dinner table, in car rides after a hard day, in the quiet, ordinary moments that don’t seem important at the time, but shape them more than we realise. They’re watching how you respond when you’re stressed. They’re listening to how you speak about other people. They’re learning what truly matters by watching what matters to you. Every day, you are feeding their hearts.

The good news is, this doesn’t require you to be a perfect parent or have all the answers. It simply requires being intentional about what you are passing on because children don’t just listen to what we say, they watch what we live. They notice how you respond when life is hard. They see when you choose patience, when you admit you were wrong, when you show kindness, and they see your faith. They see when you open the Bible. They notice when you pray. They learn what matters most by seeing what
matters most to you. Long before they understand it fully, they can see your devotion. They can see that your faith in Christ is real, not just something you say, but something you live. And that gives them a foundation they can stand on for the rest of their lives.

One day, you’ll stop packing lunchboxes. But what you’ve packed into their hearts, the faith, the character, the security of knowing they are loved by you and by God, will stay with them forever.

So tomorrow morning, as you reach for the grapes and the sandwiches, maybe pause for just a moment and ask yourself: what else am I feeding my child today?

Jacqueline Newell, Primary School Pastor