As parents we try to set good examples for our children. We teach them to honor
God and lead fulfilling spiritual lives. However, in troubled times the
heaviness of reality weighs upon us and obscures our vision. We wonder what
could have gone wrong. We need to remember the words of Solomon in Proverbs
22:6, "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not
depart from it." Truer words were never spoken nor so hard to accept.
My oldest son Joshua is the light of my life. As a single mother I support the
family and raise him with Christian values. When Joshua entered his teen years,
he was a great kid, but he also "wanted to find himself". We would exchange
angry words and at night I would cry myself to sleep. I felt alone, abandoned
and not sure where we would end up. I chastised myself for not having more
patience and not listening to my son better. Joshua was always respectful to his
elders, but Joshua was hurting. The impact of coming out of a dysfunctional
environment had left its impression on him. When pushed too far, Joshua would
certainly express his opinion. I worried that he would move farther away from
the Truth and from me. Still I stayed in the Word and tried to leave him in
God's hands. God's word would soon be proven.
Joshua and a few of his classmates were chosen to go to England over spring
break. It was going to be a wonderful time for all and the kids were so excited.
They rallied together to raise funds for the trip. They were at the top of the
world. However, from the start I began to have reservations with chaperone that
was accompanying them. She was young, inexperienced, insensitive to the kids and
rude to the parents. Things didn't feel right and I felt that the entire group
was headed for a perilous journey.
The day of the long journey to England finally arrived and I drove Joshua to the
airport. Trepidation filled me as we settled in to wait for the flight. Most of
the parents in the group were experiencing the extreme anxiety. They were
sending their son or daughter off, some 6,000 miles away for the first time.
When we formed a prayer circle to ask for a safe journey the atmosphere filled
with tension as the teacher tapped her toe and waited impatiently for the flight
to board. After the kids boarded the plane the moms just stood there and sobbed.
We formed another prayer circle right there in the airport and prayed for the
safety of everyone and the strength of the children to take care of each other.
Little did we realize how much this was going to be put to the test.
Immediately upon arrival in London, the tour became disastrous. The little group
was not met by anyone and they were stranded in the middle of Heathrow airport.
They had no idea what to do and the teacher merely stood around, wringing her
hands and crying. As Joshua later related that he just dug deep down in his
spirit and asked God for some directions. It was obvious, he said, that they
weren't going to get any support from the teacher. He and his best friend Sam
just took charge and tried to resolve the problem.
They quickly sprang into action. They organized the kids, gathered the luggage
and found transportation to their hotel, which ended up being two hours away!
The tour was a disaster and each day brought fresh challenges to the group.
Unpredictable transportation, getting lost and missed meals all took a toll on
the kids. There was no direction or guidance and with no input from the teacher
they stood alone. However, Joshua and Sam stood strong and rallied the others to
do the same. They encountered other university students who had joined the tour
and only wanted to party. These older kids became intoxicated every night,
banged on doors in the middle of the night and were completely rowdy at all of
the tourist stops.and It was embarrassing and it was a nightmare. At dinner,
when the kids sat down to eat, teacher did not take the lead at all in saying
grace, but Joshua did. He would look everyone in the eye and say, "So, who is
going to say grace tonight?" If no one volunteered then he or Sam would take the
lead. Each night they prayed for guidance, wisdom, and most of all a safe return
home.
Being a mom, I called several times to see how things were going. Once, when the
teacher told me that she didn't know where the kids were I panicked. I was
astounded. What was the going on over there? Who was in charge and why was this
happening? I didn't really need to worry as later Joshua told me that he and Sam
were handling things one day at a time and that they were just fine. How sad for
such young shoulders to bear that burden. How wonderful that he had been raised
with the spiritual values to get him through difficult times!
The kids finally arrived back home and Joshua got off the plane looking worn and
ragged. He had just shouldered too much. His friends relayed to me that they
were so grateful that Joshua had been strong and that if it hadn't been for him
they didn't know what they would have done. He came down the ramp and collapsed
into my hug and said, "Oh mom, it's so good to be home!" Later he told me that
although the time was stressful he was so glad that he had the spiritual
foundation and deep roots to see him through. He said, "And mom, it's all due to
you!"
What greater compliment could he pay me? Suddenly, all the pain and anguish that
we had experienced together was worth it. Suddenly the words "Train up a child"
were crystal clear. Joshua and I were back on solid footing and God indeed had
been true to his Word.
Renee Ripley Copyright 2001
renee.ripley@ndchealth.com
Renee Ripley, a single mom, has a Master's in Literature and enjoys writing and
homeschooling her youngest son Caleb. He is the subject of the story, "Just One
More Year", which is found in our archives. She continues to prepare her boys
for life ahead and face whatever God has in the blueprints.
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.