We saw a grown friend after church and he jokingly asked if we would tell his parents we saw him at church. We laughed. Mom gave him her church bulletin and told him to give it to his parents. He will do it. When I left I thought about him and others who know where they are supposed to be but they have to figure it out on their own. As a Christian I need to give grace, not guilt. There was a time I didn't go to church and my parents never gave up on me.
I thought of Proverbs 22: 6, "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it." I wish it was a promise but it is a proverb, a piece of wisdom in the way to raise our children. As parents we hope our children will remain in the faith in which they were raised or if they depart that they will return. We raised our kids to be independent and make their own decisions and hopefully we gave them the tools to find the best solutions to their problems. We taught them values. We taught them belief in a mystery far beyond our human understanding and now they have to figure it out. Like us, they have free will. Galatians 5: 13, "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free."
We cannot save our children but we can reflect the love of Jesus and pray for them. Declare it out loud, in the name of Jesus, and claim it! Now it is time to trust God, living our faith, while being an example to our family. Love your children and grandchildren unconditionally! “Preach the Gospel always. If necessary, use words.”
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