My 15 year old daughter doesn't come to church with us very often, having grown up myself without the option of saying "actually, I don't want to wear a hat and a skirt and come to the meeting this week" it was a firm vow of mine that if my kids were old enough to stay home then that was their choice.
However, of course it always thrills me when she does come, but I have to make sure I contain it a little so she still feels in control!
This evening when I was with her and her younger sisters 10 & 7 (knew I should have given them names - not numbers!) we were all talking generally about church this morning and I was explaining the differences in the 'church' I grew up in. My 15 year old was asking questions and saying how she believes in God and Jesus, but she can't stand how all 'religions' differ and everyone thinks they're right. I told her to make her own mind up about what was right for herself by reading her Bible or other books or asking us questions.
I realised if I had questioned that when I was younger I feel I would have just been told, "we're right and if you don't accept it right now, it may be too late, you must come to Jesus today, right now or you might die or Jesus might return and........oh it just doesn't bear thinking about" My response to that as a child was scared confusion and as a result I was baptised when I was 12 without having a true relationship with Jesus.
Of course I want all my children to accept God's love and have a personal relationship with Jesus, but there's the clue in the word 'personal' we can't give our children that relationship, we can only show them it in our lives and tell them about it, it will only happen for them on the occasion that they chose they are ready to accept it.
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