Concerned Parents
Who is seeking answers to why are our children not practicing the faith in which they were raised?
Our generation did the best we could with what we knew. Some sought Christian education, some homeschooled, for children who went to public schools, parents sought options outside the school day in which to grow their relationship with God. We all had the hope to draw our children into a faith,
And now we are weighing heavy with this question…
Do they practice a faith?
Most don’t go to church. It is challenging to have conversations with them about the subject. It’s as if there is an invisible language wall that no matter how much we love them it feels impenetrable.
What can we do?
We can always pray… never underestimate that power.
But for those of us that yearn to break through the concrete and open the window of knowing more about what they believe… the answer may be simple… not easy… just simple…
Perhaps it all comes down to us personally sitting in the foundational infrastructure of our faith…Walking our walk. Believing and trusting in the same message we yearn for our loved ones to believe.
You are loved.
You are created for a purpose.
Do you believe that in your core?
If you responded… sometimes or no… then my hope is that learning from my bumps and bruises will allow you to less painfully open the door to dialogue. My messy pursuit of that kind of relationship with my kids left me with cuts of humility and bruises of apologies. The scars are well worth it. They remind me that there is so much to learn about each other. The only way to settle into honest conversations is to listen in order to learn, stop making assumptions, and respecting each persons right to change in order to find their true self.
Simple right??? Ok maybe not… but let’s get unstuck… let’s be better tomorrow than we are today… let’s press in to increase the love and connection within our families…
How?
By learning to believe more wholeheartedly that truth that we have often told others but some days struggle to believe it in ourselves…
I am loved.
I am created for a purpose…
If we can believe that in our core, we then earn the right to be heard. If we don’t believe it deeply but continue to profess it to others, it may be received as inauthentic. The next generation is done with hypocrisy. They can spot it a mile away. They shut down and shut out.
They see in in the pulpit. (They stopped listening a long time ago)
They see it in educators (They know the ones who truly care about the child more than the subject matter or the test scores)
They see it in politics (not many of them respect our elected leaders)
They see it in media (how many watch the news? How many reject Hollywood because of the violating agenda driver producers?)
They see it in us, their parents… the ones who love them deeply but struggle in comprehending this incredible truth…
Ya’all (not from Texas but love the intimacy of the word)!
We are Beloved!
We are children of the King! Heirs to the throne…
This is the greatest news ever! And it is for you and for me, and for our children, and every single one of their friends! It’s for our parents, our siblings, every relative, even the crazy, eccentric one that we will never understand and the addict that truly cannot see even a crack of light in this truth? No one is left out… not one!
Let’s journey together and seek truth as to whose we are and what we are created for…
As I write these words… I have absolutely no doubt that what I am saying is true! I seriously want to shout it from the top of a skyscraper as I type.
If I am being honest tomorrow may be another story, If something hard happens later today, news of another death too young, or a kid calls and is in trouble, or I can’t make it home during the holidays due to a snowstorm, I may need you to remind me…
The beauty in all of this, we have been created for relationship. No one is ever meant to do it alone. God wants us to know him, not just who He is, not just a power source to ask blessings from, but a real entity who is incapable of doing anything but love us. He is Love.
He knows this is hard for us to comprehend and He never stops trying to reveal this truth! He isn’t referred to as the hound of heaven for no reason. He is constantly working to open our eyes to this truth. He wants us to know deeply, and He is hoping that we will then share it with others.
When we can believe in the depth of our soul the Truth about our incredible Creator… our kids will start believing us.
When a faith leader humbles himself..
When a teacher understands that a child is suffering greatly due to circumstances at home and is not capable of learning…
When a politician steps into the ghettos of his people to honestly sit in the suck of their suffering….
When Hollywood produces more plot and less sex and violence…
When news reporters return to the facts, without dramatized agenda driven opinions…
When we can honestly tell our children, they are loved because we are loved…
The right to be heard with be activated.
An invisible wall that divides our generation and then next, the bricks that sit between those who know social media and those who know about social media will crumble. A mutual respect between generations is vital to the future. If we collaborate in the understanding that they know stuff that we don’t… and we know stuff that they don’t… The demolition will create an opening, a way for the Light to enter in, opening a window or perhaps a door, to building a listening, loving, family, who puts faith and hope and trust in our Creator!
Oh wouldn’t that be swell!
Am I the only dreamer?
Do you believe?
Do you hear the bell?
I hope you said yes…
Let’s do this! The results could just change the culture of the world in which we live! Do not fear! Ultimately God’s the one to complete the task…He knows the plan… He carries the burden.
We just need to say yes!