An important decision by my young ones...

Sunday night the boys were talking to Nate before bed about God and asking questions, etc. They do this all the time and we have known they quite 'grasp' the idea of who Jesus is and who God is and what He means in their life. Growing up in a church it is pretty much religion by osmosis in that you are just so submerged in it you are going to believe it as a young child. The challenge we face as parents is getting our children to claim it for themselves and have their own relationship with their Creator not just through us.

What does that look like you may ask? Well for one praying to God and feeling like they can talk to Him; knowing He is listening and cares for them and believing that He will work in their life. Second, admitting they are sinners. That they mess up & sometimes do bad things (everyone does) but that they have to admit it and then ask God to forgive them b/c He is GOOD and He is the one who forgives us for those sins. This is hard for young ones b/c they don't like admitting they have messed up (really do any of us though?). And third, confessing their beliefs to others. Learning to not be afraid to share their faith, to explain to someone why they need Jesus in their life, why it makes a difference to have that faith!

It is so sweet to see a child say on their own that they do believe in Jesus; they know who he is; that they want to follow Him. For a Christian parent it is your hope for every one of your children to have their own personal relationship with Christ at some point. I do understand that the boys have made this first step and when they are ready to be baptized that will come next, but that their future is not guaranteed without problems. They will more then likely go through a period of years where they walk away from their faith. They will question their faith. They may even oppose all that they once thought to believe in so easily. And that is to be expected! What I pray is that they will walk away from that period in their lives and be able to walk back into their Father's arms who was waiting for them the whole time. Does God get mad at us for doing that? No...He is patient & kind & He does not want any of His children to perish.

I grew up in the Methodist denomination. My granny Rose was a strong believer and a woman who played a large part in my faith as a child. Monna Lou Pucket also is someone who I remember in the church as having great faith. My mother has had her own quite faith that has sustained her throughout her adult life. All of these women helped lay a groundwork for which I was able to rest on and then at a certain point come back to later on in life.

I decided at the proper age to 'join the church' and go through confirmation. I still very much remember that class and remember choosing to wait to be baptized after the class was well over b/c I wanted it to be my decision and not the 'scheduled' time with the other students. It was special to me. I had grown up knowing and believing in Jesus but that was a time for me to make a public confirmation of my own beliefs. I, like most people, went through those hard years where I turned my back on God and questioned everything. A lot of it had to do with gaining my independence and not wanting to follow anyone's rules including God's. I went to college and was taught to question everything & figure out on my own why I believed the way I did.

But then my Junior year I truly felt God calling me back to Him. Through special new friends I made, through my first ever bible study I attended, through a boyfriend (now husband) who was going through the same life struggles as I was with his faith and independence, I chose to go back to my faith and grasp a hold of it with everything I had. I was made fun of by some people for choices I made after that point & I remember it being hard to get over the shame of choices I had made those past years when I was living wild and free pleasing my own desires without thought to consequences they would create. But just like my little boys have done for the first time...I admitted I needed Christ in my life; I confessed my sins (admitting that this lifestyle was not healthy and not the one God had intended for my life in order to keep me safe) and I believed finally in that old faith I had been taught all those years long ago that I had questioned for some time. I learned that when you ask God to make things clear to you, when you truly seek His heart and will in your life that He will show you the truth.

So, will the boys be challenged again to make a decision concerning their faith when they are older and more mature? Yes, they will and that is okay. It will once again be their decision. I know though that God has them wrapped up in His arms of protection. Children are like blank slates I have learned. It is our job as their parents to lay a foundation of our beliefs out for them. As they grow up & God works in each of their lives they will be able to make their own decision for what they believe & will stand for. I am glad that my boys have taken the first step in walking in faith with God and I look forward to watching God work in their lives in a real and personal way!