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| Children looking at picture books at school, Santa Clara, Utah, 1940. Photo credit: Library of Congress |
12:02am, 12:12am...I can't sleep. I can't seem to stop thinking about the latest school shooting, children the same age as one of mine learning their alphabet. Older children the same ages as two of mine trying to conquer a long math problem. And like many other people my mind wants to know "Why?'. A young man sits near me in the Chiropractor's office and asks his dad "Why did the shooting happen?". But his dad has no answer
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But the answer is there. If we will hear it. Sin. That is the answer. "In the beginning, God created the Heavens and the Earth", I can hear my 3 year old quoting. Man was lovingly created in the image of God. Man chooses to ignore God and teach our children that they came from an Amoeba or from apes, just a glorified animal. Man chooses to teach our children that there is no hope after death. Man chooses Sin and evil. How can life be valued if we teach them that they are nothing more than animals and that when we die it is the end? How can we be surprised when our young people choose to sin and commit such evil?
But even in the midst of Sin and sadness, we can know we have Hope. Jesus Christ is our Hope. We can know without a doubt that this isn't all there is, that this is not our home, that we are just passing through. But we have to choose it....it isn't automatic....Jesus doesn't force Himself on anyone.
Moms and Dads, are we teaching our children about God and His great love and Hope? Are we teaching them to Love the Lord God with all their hearts and souls and minds? What is more important to teach them than that? Nothing! If they know they were created in the image of God and that they are loved by Him and by us then they will value life.
How are you doing in teaching your children? I know I have been slack about it. I have let the cares of the day take over and haven't adequately been directing my children to their Saviour. Let what happened to those children remind us that time is precious and that we have a job to do.