I must say I have been challenged by God more in the last 24 hours than I have been in a long time. Challenged to love the way God would. Challenged to pray for people I have never met and never seen. Challenged to love my kids the way a father should love. Challenged to love my wife the way a husband should love. I have seen america rocked to the core by the lives of 12 girls, 8 boys, and 6 adults being taken by an evil act of violence. I have been wondering what I could do.
As I knelt under the goal to pray before Parkers basketball game, I asked the boys if there was anything we should pray for. Immediately they all said we should pray for the families of the victims. They also said we should pray for Noah who was sick. We prayed a prayer and dedicated our game today to those families and Noah. We won and the boys played hard. Then it hit me.
We are forever changed as a country, as a people, and as a person if we really grasp the severity of this situation.
The media will try to help us understand the reasons why. The different governmental parties will use this event to get us on the side we feel the most safe with. The movie makers will get us to spend money on future movies based on the story line. The publishers will develop books from the point of view inside the school and minds of the survivors. We will listen and we will formulate our own ideas of what happened and we will debate the reason why from now on. What God keeps on asking me is, What am I willing to do to make sure my kids are ready if this ever happens or they are in the same type of situation some day?
Today at my sister in law's Masters degree party, my brother prayed a prayer before we ate and in his prayer he prayed that God would help us raise our kids to be ready.
As he prayed, I thought about his words. It thought I want my kids to look death in the face and know they are secure in God. I want my kids to look fear in the eyes and know God is in control, even if they are scared. I want my kids to live God out loud in their lives.
How will we do this? How will we raise our kids to be ready? How do we equip them to be able to handle this huge responsibility? How do we teach them the principles of Gods word? What is it going to take?
I must be a leader in my home.
I must be changed from this day forward to lead my family by example.
I must be ready to look death in the face and know my God is real.
I must learn the principles taught in the word of God.
I must be willing to give it all.
I must be willing to hide his words in my heart.
I must be willing to serve my family and lead my family as a Godly father.
I must be willing to live God out loud in my life.
I must be willing to give my life just as Jesus did.
I must be willing to follow his will for my life.
I must be willing to allow God's presence to lead me.
I must be willing to be present for my family.
It all starts with me. It all starts with a change in my heart to realize this is real life. I must be ready to face evil head on and know my God is greater. My God is better. My God is the beginning and the end.
I am challenging you to start this journey with me. We have a responsibility to our families to raise them to be ready....
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