Day 5: Sunday, March 10th, 2019

“Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

In the past few months, I’ve had to attend the funerals of dear friends. We raised our children together at our church. These children are no longer children. They are exactly the kind of adults we dreamed of when they were little. Then I thought of the parents that raised these children. The Jeans, the Friddles, the Smiths, the Hammers, the Cartmells, the Rainwaters, and the Frisches. We raised our children at church. We’ve faced challenges of health and losses. We’ve watched our children mature. We are so very proud of the adults that our children have become! Not only are our children strong adults today, but they are also nurturing to each other. Our children live all over the world, but they are still connected. They are connected because of their foundation of faith. They reach out there for each other each and every time they are needed. They are not alone. They have each other! They are also passing these same values to our grandchildren and to those around them.

Then, I look around at our church. I see the Giffens with their 3 boys: Jake, Max and John. I see Leighann and her husband with Iris and Opal. I see Foster and Beau. They are being raised together in church. They are strong representatives of their parents and their grandparents. They will become the leaders of tomorrow because of the values of their parents and grandparents.

By giving our children the foundation of faith, we are preparing them for the challenges and blessings they will face when we are not with them physically. They will never walk alone.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, Thank You for families who teach their children the importance of their Christian faith. Thank You for families and friends who support our children and give them the foundation they need to become strong Christian men and women. In Your Name I pray, Amen.

Contributed by Carolyn Dugger