Sunday message- Teach Your Children

I was on my cleaning job one night, thinking about the drunk woman driver who'd just killed 4 out of a family of six or something on those lines.  I thanked God for allowing that NOT to happen to me in all my stupid years of drinking and driving.

He replied, "That's because I knew I could reach you without going to that extreme.  The sin remains the same, only the consequence never came..."

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Last week, I did a post about an award, and among the things I had to tell about myself, I said this:

1- The two greatest things in my life (Laurie and the kids) came as a result of the two biggest mistakes of my life (working at Arden Co. and marrying their Mom, respectively).

Later, I thought about those two items and realized, in those cases, I HAD hit bottom.  I had been the drunk crashing the car.  And God taught me the only way I would listen.  And WHY wouldn't I listen?

Well, I could give you a million socio-emotional reasons for it.  But you know why I won't?  Let's revisit another earlier post, last Sunday's Narrative vs Dialogue.  In the comments section, you'll note I said this:

At this point though, I'd like to point out that I left a mouse trap in this post- something that someone could bust me on, but if they did, it would really drive my point home. Not that hard to set, if you're willing to admit to being wrong on something. Which means my erstwhile debaters wouldn't dare do something like it...

And that thing was, I inserted my own narrative, allegedly explaining why I got upset with commenter "Tempest", which was no more of an explanation of my actions than the original guest posters' "narrative" was of her point.  And thus, no narrative on the reasons why I hit rock-bottom job wise and relationship wise... although, it is time to share with you the ONE reason behind both.

When we were taught to pray as little kids, we prayed in the moment.  We thanked God, we asked for our "daily bread", we asked him to "Keep our souls" until we woke up.  But we never were taught to pray about the future.  Were you taught as a child to ask for God to lead you down the path He wanted for you, or did our prayers just assume we'd either blunder into it or God would just "come along for the ride"?  I have heard multiple messages about how we should pray that our children walk in God's path, or find a "good Christian mate", but I have never heard one talk about TRAINING your children to pray for their futures themselves!

If I had prayed about it as a child, perhaps I might not have blew a college education on things which never interested me.  Perhaps I wouldn't have stayed with a job that took the best years of my life and rewarded me with bupkiss because I never tried to find something better.  After I lost it, and I prayed for guidance and help, I was led to a woman at an employment agency that carefully took my skills into consideration and matched me with a job which, despite its faults, couldn't be better for me.

If I had prayed about it as a child, perhaps my children would have a mother, who is Christian, kind, thoughtful, and concerned about things other than how her friends perceive her... like Laurie.  God put me in a very good place with Laurie- though not a marital relationship, and I firmly believe that is because I blew my shot at marriage... and afterwards, with romantic relationships.  Then I learned to give such things to him, and ta-da, here we are.

So now I'm on that broad place that God promised David, who seemed to pray about every little thing (with the notable exception of Bathsheba...).  But it wasn't praying about "every little thing", it was praying about what matters... and putting the future in God's hands REALLY matters.

But I had to figure that out the hard way, and so I'm sure some of you.  But those of you that have contact with little ones, you have a marvelous opportunity to make their lives better.  And take a look at this world- they will need ALL the help you can give.  So teach them to pray for their OWN future, as soon as they are able.  Train them up in the way they should go, that when they grow up they won't wander from the path.  

My Mom taught prayer by praying in silence.  The nuns taught prayer by formulaic recitals.  Be an activist teacher for your little ones.  Help them find the broad place sooner than we did... sooner than I did.