Called to Family

In his autobiography, Ralph W. Beiting makes this statement:

“I have seen so many parents make remarkable sacrifices in the hopes that their children’s lives will be different.” [Called to the Mountains, page 63].

Only when I became a parent did I realize sacrifices that my parents made for me. Their hard work essentially was motivated by their love for me and their dreams for me. The hard thing, though, is to realize how many years went by before my parents received a hearty “thank you” for their sacrifices.

This is the most difficult aspect of parenting. We often do not see immediate results with our sacrifices. But that need not deter us. Because Christian parents are in covenant relationship with God, spouse and children, sacrificial giving of time, effort and money are part of the picture. When love is the motivation for sacrifice, there is a deep, untold joy that enters the picture.

We want life to be better for our children. Here is the sticky point though…the sacrificial life made us the way we are, why would we not want the same thing for our children? If the sacrificial life forges character, why would we not want the same thing for our children?

If the hope that our children’s lives will different revolves only around financial freedom and opportunity, then we have failed in our job as a parent. On the other hand, if we mean “different” in the sense that they will learn much quicker the serendipities of a sacrificial life, then I agree. And on the other hand, if we mean “different” in the sense that they grow stronger in the faith and closer to Lord much quicker than we did, then I agree!

We are called to family…and that calling is immersed in sacrificial giving that provides a model for the next generation!

In Christian love, Curtis