Becoming a God-Kid
Dear Jason
Last night you mentioned to me your teacher said in Bible class that the world is going to be ending - soon! (She's right, but I disagree with the "why" of what she said) You went to bed shortly after that, but I lay in the bath thinking hard about you and me and God.
I don't think I've been a good parent when it comes to teaching you about God. When I was little, we had family worship every day, we prayed regularly, we went to church every week, and our lives were steeped in God-stuff. It might have been influenced by the fact that Gramps is a pastor, but most Christian families did that in that time!
We don't. We attempted family worship and it died out. We pray for Sabbath start and end, for meals - but find it hard to do it otherwise. We have given up going to church (but in a way that's a good thing, cos now we have to find God for ourselves instead of expecting others to dish Him up for us). Yes, we do see God in many things around us, but I suspect you've missed out on some of the stuff I grew up with.
Like Bible stories. You get them at school in your Bible class, but we had them every day, and I was surprised recently that you didn't know one of the well-known ones.
And Bible verses. I had to learn them every week for Sabbath school - you don't. I learnt them at home off-by-heart - you haven't. Sure, we trawl through your Bible now and then for our Sabbath God-time, and we find verses that we talk about. But is that enough? I doubt it.
One day God's gonna ask me what I did to raise you as His kid. I'm not sure I'll know the answer, or that I will have done well enough. And yet I don't know how to change. OK, I DO know, but it's hard to implement.
If the world really is about to end, are we ready? I don't know. I hope so. I hope that your eternal life hasn't been snuffed out because I didn't take the time...
Love
Mom
Last night you mentioned to me your teacher said in Bible class that the world is going to be ending - soon! (She's right, but I disagree with the "why" of what she said) You went to bed shortly after that, but I lay in the bath thinking hard about you and me and God.
I don't think I've been a good parent when it comes to teaching you about God. When I was little, we had family worship every day, we prayed regularly, we went to church every week, and our lives were steeped in God-stuff. It might have been influenced by the fact that Gramps is a pastor, but most Christian families did that in that time!
We don't. We attempted family worship and it died out. We pray for Sabbath start and end, for meals - but find it hard to do it otherwise. We have given up going to church (but in a way that's a good thing, cos now we have to find God for ourselves instead of expecting others to dish Him up for us). Yes, we do see God in many things around us, but I suspect you've missed out on some of the stuff I grew up with.
Like Bible stories. You get them at school in your Bible class, but we had them every day, and I was surprised recently that you didn't know one of the well-known ones.
And Bible verses. I had to learn them every week for Sabbath school - you don't. I learnt them at home off-by-heart - you haven't. Sure, we trawl through your Bible now and then for our Sabbath God-time, and we find verses that we talk about. But is that enough? I doubt it.
One day God's gonna ask me what I did to raise you as His kid. I'm not sure I'll know the answer, or that I will have done well enough. And yet I don't know how to change. OK, I DO know, but it's hard to implement.
If the world really is about to end, are we ready? I don't know. I hope so. I hope that your eternal life hasn't been snuffed out because I didn't take the time...
Love
Mom
posted by Michelle at 1:31 AM
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6 Comments:
Lovely
Dear Michelle isn't it somewhat due to the fact that the word GOD has a new meaning to us than it was injected to us before?? I dare say God ain't sth unique but exists in all possible shapes one likes it to be...
Very lovely letter this one.
Michelle,
As a parent you are not alone in your doubts and struggles. I have also wondered how I can be better at sharing God's love with my children and imparting in them a greater knowledge of His will (Colossians 1:9). Keep plugging away. Even the little things we do can make a big difference.
Thank you for your comments! (sorry I haven't checked in here for a while, as you can tell by the date when this was last added to...:) ) I guess parenting is a whole lot more complicated than we could imagine a lot of the time. One can only go forward the best we know how, and trust that we're on the right path.
thanks for your honesty. I can relate deeply. I comfort myself with the belief that I will give my children more authenticity; less religion. Still, I pray for wisdom in simply teaching the words of the Bible.
Thanks Joyce. I hope that's what I'm doing too...
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