New Generations and the Next

Whether intentional or not, what we inevitably share with the children we serve, lead, and nurture as parents, teachers, or friends is who we are in Christ Jesus as individuals and together - life that comes from faith and faith that comes from life - the good, the bad, the ugly. Kids are watching, kids are listening - not unlike God, LOL! Yup, that's scary. Do you think God sees through a child's eyes? Through a grown-up's eyes? Maybe both?

Is it ok for kids to ask questions or is it better to leave them to wrestle alone or with their peers possibly left to convince themselves of things that aren't true. Encouraging kids to ask questions opens discussion and it's ok to say, "I don't really know. Let's pray, let's search the scriptures, let's ask [so and so], let's look it up, let's wrestle with that one." A child will probably be content with a much simpler answer than you - the grown up. [smile] Be glad, while it lasts.

A curriculum, a program, a system - all nice but I don't think they're really at the heart of teaching and learning unless it's just one of many tools that you use to share Jesus, your faith, and your life with your kids. That's scary, too.

So then I say, who am I that God would ever trust me with the lives of children, my own or someone else's? Gosh, why would He? Should I hide what I've been given in a hole because I know I'll never measure up or because I'm afraid I'll lose it? Do I just keep investing what I have back in the people around me, hoping to give back to God more than what I started with (invest, give, and hope being key words there) . There are jobs or roles in scripture that have clear job qualifications. That's not what I'm talking about here. We all interact with children or don't by choice ...I'll leave that one alone right now. We keep giving what we have. We keep loving whoever God sends us not (hopefully) because we have an agenda or because we're particularly anointed but because, if I remember the story, digging a hole and hiding my treasure isn't the way I'll ever hear God say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter in
the joy of your master..."