Who Are We Raising?

I recently had the opportunity to attend an event where a well known female Bible teacher would be speaking.  It took place over a Friday evening and all day Saturday, including 5 solid one-hour sessions of Bible teaching.  It makes for an intense weekend, but it’s so much fun and the Lord just has a way of really speaking to me on these weekends about really deep things.

I had four tickets – with myself and two friends, three were spoken for.  I was surprised when I had a difficult time finding someone to take that 4^th ticket.  I finally had the idea to invite my nine year old daughter to come with us for the Friday night session. She was unsure about it, but the clincher was when I told her that her dad and brother would just be watching sports on TV that night… she was MORE than willing to get out of the house at that news. HA! At the same time, planning for her to go to her soccer game on Saturday morning, I continued to try to get someone to take the ticket for Saturday.  I was emailing, texting and Facebooking people like crazy thinking that there was someone that the Lord wanted to be there.  I just hadn’t found who it was yet.

Friday night came and it was just so wonderful. Sarah sat nearly on the edge of her seat the entire time. Bible open, highlighter and pen in hand; taking notes and highlighting important words and phrases in her Bible.

It was the most precious sight for this mother’s eyes to see.

At the end of the evening we began talking about the next day’s schedule. Sarah looked at me and said, “Y’all are doing this tomorrow, too?”

“Yes,” I replied. “I didn’t figure you’d come since you have a soccer game and stuff. Do you want to come back tomorrow?”

“Oh Mom, yes! This is SO worth it.”

Well… how can you argue with that, I ask you?

She was up the next morning before I even got the chance to go wake her up. She was ready. Hungry and ready.

It was so clear by mid-way through Saturday’s sessions that the 4th ticket was intended for her the whole time. God had reserved her a spot and wouldn’t let me give it to anyone else.

The Lord has really been speaking to me lately about what it means to “train up [my own] child.”  I am becoming increasingly aware that she will only truly learn as I actively model and teach certain things and that can only be done if we are experiencing those things together.  She can only learn what it means to take in good Bible teaching if she is exposed to it and given the opportunity.  What an opportunity this was for me to share in some Bible teaching with my daughter and allow her to see the beauty of women gathering together and loving on one another in the name of Christ.

And I also had the opportunity to allow her, at 9 years old, to choose the better part.  In fact, we talked that Saturday morning before going back to the event and I asked if she remembered the story of Mary and Martha from the book of John.  She said she did, so we talked about it.

“What was Martha doing?”

“Cooking and cleaning and running around and complaining that Mary wouldn’t help her.” (my paraphrase)

“What was Mary doing?”

“She was sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to him.”

“And what did Jesus say to Martha?”

I could tell she wasn’t sure of the exact words, so I helped her out.  “He told Martha that Mary had chosen what was better.  That being near him and sitting at his feet was better than being busy trying to serve.  And you know what, sweetie, you have chosen the better part today by choosing to listen to what God might have to say to you rather than being busy going to soccer games and running around.”

Oh my.  It dawned on me that my nine year old daughter has learned this and yet, my 37 year old self still struggles at times.  In spite of my inner Martha of Luke chapter 10, my daughter is learning to be a Mary.

Believe it or not, this was a test for me, I think.  The Lord has been convicting my inner Martha about our family’s running around, playing sports and missing more important things because of inconsequential things.  I have resolved in recent months not to be held captive by my kids’ sports schedules; it’s not the most important thing.  It really felt like this was God saying, “Are you going to walk what you talk?” I had to stop and think for a second, but only a second when she said she wanted to skip soccer that Saturday.  I think I passed the test.

I am painfully aware, through this experience, that I have underestimated her and what she is capable of handling in this area for far too long.  I have treated her as a kid who could only understand kid “Bible stories.”  Oh, if we could all grasp that they can handle so much more.  They can if we, their parents, would just teach them.

My husband and I have done a lot of teaching of our faith with our children.  But I continue to be convicted that it could be so much more and that so much more is needed.  If we are to stop the mass exodus of young adults from the church and even Christianity as a whole, we, as parents, must fully accept our role and responsibility in teaching the next generation – proclaiming His goodness, grace and mercy displayed through Jesus Christ.  It is our responsibility alone and not that of the church staff and volunteers in ministry to disciple our children.

The Lord blessed me with being able to see a little of the fruit of our labor over the last nine years with our daughter.  And it is such an encouragement to me to keep on and even step it up.

Who are we raising?  Are we raising children who will be “Marthas”;  too busy with soccer, football, cheerleading, dance, band, etc…. to stop and listen to Jesus?  I fear it is so.  May we encourage our children through our teaching and our own example to be the Martha found in John chapter 11, who can do things to serve, but know how to, like her sister Mary, stop and sit at Jesus’ feet.

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