This post comes from my wife:
A lifetime ago I arranged for a photo to be taken of all the children in the church we attended. All kids under the age of fifteen or so were gathered in the church hall and the photographer stood on a trestle table to take the snap, while proud Mums, Dads, and the rest of the congregation looked on.
It wasn’t until later, when the photos arrived on my desk, that I noticed the banner hanging high on the wall behind the children. It read: Christians are different.
A baptismal font in Karlskrona, Sweden
We used to laugh about that.
But the truth is, that when it comes to our children, Christians aren’t different enough.
We don’t see our children through God’s eyes. We are like all those adults watching the photo shoot and not seeing the bright yellow banner behind.
We go about the busy-ness of child rearing; the milestones, the school fees and homework, the music lessons and little athletics. We stress over mixed parties and drugs and driver training, just the same as our unsaved neighbours are doing.
However God has different plans for our children, and He calls Christian families to BE different. One Christian put it thus:
The Christian family must define Christ to the world, so that the world may find Christ.
May we scoop up that delightful toddler,
May we be caught up with the excited third grader who has won a ribbon for running,
May we hide a secret smile while our lovesick teenager mooches around the house,
But may we never forget that they are part of God’s plan for Gospel-spreading.
Travels from Ur 