Parenting Made Easy

I feel like now that I have a moment, I should post something because I'm making every one sad with the story of my son's school's lock down (turns out a man waving a gun ran across the street without looking both directions...or looking back; the incident was brief and not even verifiable, but the lock down lasted all day.)  I don't disagree that we live in a scarier world...though in some ways, I think the scary is just more apparent.  We used to try to hide sin but now we show it for all the world to see and call it being ourselves.

Yep, ourselves aren't really that great.  And the truth is our kids aren't all that safe.  We can try to protect them, and certainly as parents we have to make wise choices and set safe boundaries, but danger will still exist.  I can remove my child from this crime infested city and hide in some tiny town...removing the possibility of gang violence and exposing them to blatant racism and hidden immorality--or some other sin of choice.  Honestly my personality prefers the "Look at me!  I am going my own way!" then the treachery of Judah (Jeremiah).

Do I fear for my children's saftey?  YES!  I spent the first week of Huckleberry's Middle School paranoid that I would get a call that he had been beaten up and lost a kidney, meet them at the hospital.  Personally I found the strike kind of comforting.

But God contended with me and reminded me who I worship...a God of power and might who loves my children way more than I do...and I really love my children a lot.  So when I fear for my children's safety, I call on God and remember:

Matthew 10: 28-32:  "Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.  Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.  Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven." 

And put their safety in my Father's arms, pray for them to have a personal relationship with Christ, and I focus on teaching my children to love and fear the Lord.

So off to AWANA we go because the church does a much better job of teaching this all than I do...just kidding, though we are going to AWANA and our children's ministry team is wonderful.  As a parent I believe the best way I can teach my children is living a life wholy devoted to Christ that shows authenticity, repentance, and the fruit of the spirit.   Ummm, love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control--good thing repentance is part of it, too.