A is for Apple

       It was my lunch hour.  I went to eat in a local family owned Asian restaurant.  I don't go there often, but I always enjoy it when I do.  
       As I ate my lunch, I could hear a young boy on the other side of the restaurant.  "A is for apple, B is ball, C is for Cat.." and he continued all the way through the alphabet.  I thought perhaps he was looking at a picture book.  Almost as soon as he finished, he would start over again.  
      This continued for quite some time.  Every once in a while, an even younger voice joined in for a few of the letters.  Occasionally, I heard an adult encouraging and cheering him on.  
       I could not help but smile as I listened to the young voice.  He sounded so earnest.  He wanted to get it just right.  We don't often hear someone so young one with so much determination. 
      Almost immediately I began to think how wonderful it would be if parents were as concerned with their children learning about God as they were about them learning their ABCs and 1,2,3s!  That scripture from Deuteronomy came to mind.  Know the one I'm talking about? ....It is where God tells the Israelites:  
     "And these words that I command you shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise." 
 You can read these beautiful words in Deuteronomy 6:6-7.  They are repeated almost word for word in chapter 11:8-19.  
      God loves us so much!!  He wants us to be in heaven with Him.  The question is do we love our children enough to tell them this?  Do our children know first and foremost that God loves them?  
       His love is more important than our own love because God is the one who sent us a Savior.  We cannot save our children's souls.  We can only teach them about the One who can  -- if they choose to follow Him.
     I remember when we were growing up we brought our Bible class books home with us.  Every Sunday morning on the way to worship, Dad would ask if we had our lessons up.       Keeping up with our school work was important to our parents; but our Sunday school lesson was even more important!  We better make sure those lessons were done!  Mom and Dad wanted us to understand God comes first. 
      Christianity is maligned in the media these days.  Christians are portrayed as hateful and intolerant.  This is totally false.  Please teach your children how good God is.  Let them know Christ came to earth for all of us ... loves all of us ... died and rose again for all of us!  
      The gospel is a gospel of peace and joy.  We need not only tell our children this -- we need to show them.  We need to teach them good manners.  They need to see us being courteous and respectful.  
      If we don't want our children to be bullies, maybe we shouldn't yell at umpires and referees at ballgames.  If we want our children to learn about compassion, they should be able to see us being compassionate.  If we want them to believe God answers prayer, we should pray with them. And when a prayer is answered give God the glory.
    When we help them learn the alphabet, teach them about a book called the Bible that talks about the God who loves them.  When they learn about our vast universe, tell them about the God who created it.  When they study how the planets revolve around the sun, tell them a Christian's life should revolve around Christ, the Son of God.  
      When our children learn about caterpillars, cocoons and butterflies let's teach them Jesus rose from the grave and reigns in Heaven at the right hand of God.  And when they learn about 'how babies are made' -- please tell them God is the giver of life!  Teach them how precious every life is!
     
       I finished my lunch that day and went to pay for my food. I saw the young man whose voice I heard during my meal.  He was probably five or six.  The other little boy appeared to be about four.  They were both adorable!  
        All children should be cherished.  They are priceless gifts from God!  We should take great care in teaching them about the God who loves them. 
     
      "One generation shall commend your works to another,
                 and shall declare your mighty acts"  (Psalm 145:4)
       
Christ above all things, 
Robin