So, Yesterday, Gabe, Levi, Asher and I went to West Valley to have lunch with Adam. We were sitting in Chili's and Gabe looks at us and very seriously says' "I am not going on a mission when I am older...I AM NOT." Ok, what do you say to a 5 year old about that. We asked why and he said he just wasn't. I told him to think about if for 15 years and them we could make a final decision.
After lunch we took Adam back to work and Gabe went in with Adam to get some water to make a bottle with. He gets back in the van and says, "so, I have decided that when I grow up I will either work at McDonald's or here (at 3-Form) with dad. I don't want to be a fireman because I don't want to touch fire and I don't want to be a police because it is mean to give someone a ticket, and police work to much. I don't want to be a doctor because sick people go see doctors and I don't like blood so I will work with dad or at McDonald's unless I think of something better before I grow up." OK.
Then Levi cuts in, "Just so you know, I will never get baptized. I don't want to ever, EVER get baptized!" Ok, I am obiously doing something wrong since 2 of my 4 kids have told me today that they are not doing good, righteous things. Levi would not say why he didn't want to get baptized until dinner last night. We were telling Adam about our ride home and Levi told Adam he wasn't getting baptized and when Adam asked why he said "I don't want my clothes to get wet." It was kind of cute and a little funny. After Adam told Levi that he would be in the water with him he said he would get baptized.
Corbin adds his two cents to the conversation and tries to tell Levi that you don't get baptized until your 8 because when you are 7 you take swimming lessons and so when you turn 8 you are ready to get baptized because you won't drown when you go under the water. (I think Corbin might think he is right but Levi didn't buy it.)
How, I have often wondered, do you teach your kids and properly "push" them in the right direction so they want to get baptized and serve missions and get married in the temple, and make those decisions on their own. Do it for them and not just because it will make mom and dad happy or a girl happy or whatever the case my be. I mean, doing good, right for someone else isn't bad, but how much greater the blessing if you are doing it for you and the Lord.
I watch a lot of families and their situations. I don't know everything about any family, not even my own, but it seems so often that good people raise kids who make very far from good choices. It scares me. Some of my closest friends who are very active in the church and valiant in their testimonies have family members who have strayed far from the church. My family and Adam's have members who are less or in-active. We were all in our individual families raised the same, we had the same family nights and family prayers and those kind of things. I think it would break my heart to see one of my children fall away from the one thing that can bring lasting jooy into their lives. Knowing that if we have family night and family prayer and scripture studt brings with it a promise that if a child strays they will come back is a great blessing and a good push to do those things. But still I'm sure it is still hard to go through that kind of a trial.
I also often wonder how much a persons character and personality that they come with affect them. are some people lost from the beginning or can a good strong family push them enough and love them enough to change something the spirit world could not. Do strong families get wayward children because "when much is given much is required." One of the ways we earn our blessings.
I think about this more than I should probably. I am grateful for opporitunities to teach and testify to my kids. I try not to let chances pass me by, but they do at times. Ilove my family and the gospel and my Heavenly Father and all those special things I need to be happy. I need my eternal family and the gospel. I need to know that I am right with the Lord especially when it comes to raising my kids. I hope that they turn out ok.
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