Living out your faithful courage as a parent

I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord.
(Psalm 27:13-14, NIV)

“Why do we have to go to church? It’s so boring! And I already know all the stories.” This is the current weekly conversation I have with one of my children. The daily and weekly rhythms of faith do seem boring to a child who lives for the highs. And to the child of a questioning nature, there are other challenges to practicing faith. “Are the six days of Creation literal? What about dinosaurs? Why do bad things keep happening in the world?”

My answer for the first challenge is that going to church is to the soul what hygiene is to the body. If we do not wash our hands and brush our teeth we are more likely to become sick. If I do not go to church to remember the work of God, I am more likely to be selfish and angry. These practices of faith turn my eyes away from me toward God, and in so doing, toward others with greater compassion.

“Do this in remembrance of me.” These are the words of Jesus at the Last Supper, which was a time to remember the work of God in the Passover. My children forget to hang up their backpacks when they come home from school. I forget to trust God unless I am reminded. So we go church, to hear the same stories year in and year out, because we are so forgetful.

I go to church to practice seeing the Lord’s goodness. I pray because I want to be close to Christ. Those practices are the ways I learned to wait for the Lord. Waiting is boring. It can also be excruciatingly difficult. We wait for the results of tests and wonder how the answer will change our lives. We wait for comfort in the midst of painful and sorrowful experiences. Waiting for the Lord takes courage.

Courage to show up even when it's hard.

Courage to practice “boring” habits that serve our bodies and souls.

Courage to do the work, and leave the results in God’s hands.

Courage to parent children in faith, when they criticize, complain, or quarrel about faith.

Yet I am certain that God’s goodness is there for the faithful ones who want to see it. So I let my children whine and question and then remind them that we go not for ourselves, but to see and remember the goodness of God in our lives.

May you be courageous in practicing your faith in front of those who belittle it, even your own children. May you listen to their questions with compassion, and be willing to leave things unexplained. May you be strong and wait for the Lord to work in the hearts of your children, as he has with you.

Scripture for meditation
I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness
In the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
Be strong and let your heart be courageous.
Wait for the Lord.
-Psalm 27:13-14 (NIV)

Prompts for reflection or journaling
Where in your life do you see a need to faithfully show up when it’s hard?
What spiritual practices can you help your children with as they grow their faith?

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