Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6
I have always loved this bible verse and when you keep it always in the back of your mind it can work wonders with raising your children.
It is a simple concept. Children do and say what they see.
If your home is fraught with anger, your child learns anger.
If your home is full of love and compassion, your child learns love and compassion.
If you love the LORD and live by the word, your child will learn to love the LORD, too.
My three children that are still at home, LOVE the LORD. I see it daily.
Although, Kaylyn is still a bit young, she loves going to nursery school at church each Sunday morning and paling around with her friends. She is so sweet with the younger children in her class. I can't wait until she moves up to the next class this next fall where they start learning bible versus.
Hayden who is 4 just shines when he is at church group and preschool which is church based. He comes home all the time singing a new song, reciting a new verse, telling me how "He died on the cross for our sins." And he has so many questions some at times that I feel unqualified to answer, if I am to be honest.
Tyler, our 13 year old, who is at a very impressionable age, has become very compassionate these days. He is really starting to grasp that not everyone is as blessed as we are. And that we should be thankful for what we *have* not just in material possessions but spiritually, health, happiness, freedom. I could go on. This was clearly apparent on Christmas day night when we were driving home and saw an older homeless gentleman pushing a cart full of cans up the side of the road. My heart broke. We turned around and Tyler got out of the car and gave the man $10.00 of his own money. The man gave him a huge smile and a thank you. We wished him a Merry Christmas and we continued on our way. We talked about this all the way home.
Although, I know he has learned part of being compassionate to others from us, his family, I also know that it takes a *village* to raise up a child and right now part of that *village* is our church youth group. He has become very involved in our church's youth group and has made many life long friends. He loves going on their activities week after week. The youth program we have at our church is PHENOMENAL with some great leaders and fun activities that keep the kids involved. I know keeping him involved with the church is very important at his age. Our youth leaders always come up with fun and exciting events to keep them coming back. And I figure whatever keeps them coming in the door. They learn life long lessons from the worship that our youth leaders teach them albeit it might not be evident today or tomorrow, but one day it will be crystal clear. I am certain of that because of my own experiences growing up.
You see, I have not always known the LORD. I have been a Christian all my life and baptised when I was middle school age when I was part of a great youth group in Arizona. But again, I have not always KNOWN the LORD nor walked with the LORD. It has only been about the last 15 years or so that I have *learned* what it means to walk with the LORD and have given myself to him. I know had I not been immersed in the youth group at that impressionable age of 10-13, things could have and most likely would have turned out different for me given the circumstances of my upbringing. Don't get me wrong, it could have been a lot worse but there are many things I "learned" from my "training" and therefore have had to essentially break the cycle as I have become an adult for both myself and for and with my children.
So, when you think your children are just not getting it. When you repeat yourself a million and one times with no response. When you are seething mad about something that went awfully array. They get it. No doubt about it. It may not seem like it at the time but they do.
Watch them.
Watch their actions.
Watch their interactions.
It might surprise you.
(or not)
