Thoughtful Thursday: Do We Know.......

   Getting ready for the day; before the chores; before my teeth were even brushed..one of our teens called me aside for a talk. As a mamma, this tells me something very important is about to be discussed...and it was.
   You see, she had received a message from a teen younger than her needing to talk about a terrible situation. This very young teen was just leaving the local free clinic (she can drive) where it was confirmed she had been given the date rape drug and sexually assaulted. She needed help. My daughter's question came because of the kind of help she was asking.
   This young girl had been prescribed the morning after pill and could not pick the prescription up because she was under age. She wanted our help.
   Grief spilled over my heart as I heard this terrible situation. I now had a moment in life to not only teach my teen, but to learn about her as well. My question to us is..do we know?
 
Do we know:
* our convictions regarding...sexual purity, cohabitation, abortion, birth control , cyber relationships, etc.
* their convictions about such things
* how to respond to situations involving our convictions
* how to teach our youth to respond to such situations
* where helping becomes hindering
                     do we know?

   Moments such as these have come into our lives quite a bit these past months. Home school families are not immune to such situations (the influence of them or the instance of them). As parents it is our God-given responsibility to know our convictions, to teach our children our convictions, and to know their developing convictions. How do we do this?

How do we know?
* seek God's direction and Wisdom through His Word and prayer
* use current events through culture studies, current events and world new as triggers for teachable conversation
* when sharing convictions with our family (or others) always back it up with God's Word..this gives validity making it more than just your opinion
* know why you have this conviction...if you don't know, how can you teach it
* time together lends opportunity for discussion...sometimes the most teachable moments are in the mundane places of our day
 * invest in knowing your kids..share in their interests, know their friends, know their activities (Internet, phone, extra curricular, etc.

   These young people are the adults of tomorrow; have we equipped them for that responsibility? Already in our world today we see the consequences of not knowing:
* young adults who cannot hold a job
* cohabitation without shame or remorse
* unwed pregnancy, abortions, and high foster care situations
                the list is unending..and it's sad.
   We are called to train up our children in the way they should go..to know them; do we? I cannot change the world. I cannot change the hearts of others. I can start with me. I can expand to my family. I can reach to those who reach out to me. I can pray...love is tough and it is not easy to refuse to help when it will be a hindrance; when we are giving the impression that we applaud and accept the behavior instead of standing for our convictions.
   I choose to stand...I choose to know.

simplychele