Saturday and a Need to Share

Scott has started a little ritual with Ada to go on some sort of "daddy-daughter date" every Saturday.  This usually consists of a trip to the park, which Ada thinks is almost as good as Disney World.  She can't contain her excitement when she hears the word park; in fact her reaction usually causes her to jump up and down or run in circles around the house.  Sometimes they grab a happy meal on the way home, and there was even that time that they went to Six Flags, though that was a Sunday.  Obviously, Scott is establishing this time to create a habit of spending one-on-one time with his daughter while she is still young, in hopes that the ritual will continue as she gets older.  He also does this to get Ada out of the house and give me a little time to myself on Saturdays, since John is usually sleeping while they are gone.

Well, today is a special "daddy-daughter" date.  Scott took Ada to see Toy Story III at a local dollar movie theater.  Ada has never been to a movie theater, and they are both very excited about this outing.  I am sure Scott will blog about the experience later.  That is where they are right now. 

John is sleeping, and I have the Georgia/Vanderbilt game on the television, while I wait for the start of the Auburn game.  I have also been using this rare quiet time to read one of the books I am currently reading. 

You know where this is going, right?

I have something I have to share with somebody.  Scott is gone, so, tag, you're it.  I have to share. 

I am reading (along with a few other books, that I am sure I will mention later) R.C. Sproul Jr.'s, When You Rise Up, subtitled: A Covenantal Approach to Homeschooling.   Thank you, Mary, for lending it to me.  I am loving it, but I am not openly recommending that everyone read it, because if you don't plan to homeschool, you will most likely find the book offensive.  Sproul's tone is rather, um...harsh?  In other words, he doesn't leave room for other life situations other than homeschooling.  Since I plan to homeschool already, I am enjoying the book, but I can also understand why someone else might not like it.  (If you do plan to homeschool, I strongly recommend the book--it's great). 

All of that to say that opinions on homeschooling aside, he has some great things to say on what our goals for parenting should be.  It is convicting, to say the least.  In the chapter that I am reading right now, Sproul outlines three goals of homeschooling, but I would argue that these should be the three goals of parenting, homeschooling or not.  He says that it is our job to teach three G's--who God is, what God has done, and what does God require.  He believes that everything else is just secondary.  So, in the midst of this chapter he poses this question, "Our calling is to tell our children who God is.  This doesn't stop, of course, once they have made a decision for Christ.  This is our eternity, that we will know him better and better on into eternity.  When we wake up each morning, we ought not ask ourselves, 'How can I prepare my child to enter into the nice middle-class world of grown-ups?'  Rather, we should be asking, 'How do I tell my children who God is?" (89-90).  And prior to that he briefly shows what this looks like when he shares a conversation that he had with his son over his son's competitive nature when playing the punch buggy game ( you know, looking for volkswagon bugs?)  He says to his son, "I don't mind you enjoying the game.  It's fun and it's a gift from God.  But it should not mean so much to you.  That's not wise.  That's elevating it to a place where it doesn't belong.  Knowing God is the thing we want.  If you want to be upset about something, be upset that you don't yet know God better, not that your little sister saw the blue punch buggy before you did," (89). 

That conversation made me laugh, but it also convicted me that I should not be upset about the things that I get so upset about--the state of my house, not buying the boots or sweater or whatever that I want to buy, etc. etc. etc., instead, I should be upset that I don't know God better, that I am not longing for Him and his word more!!!  And this is what I should want for my children, and this is what I should teach them--all of the time.

Okay, this is getting super long, but I had to verbally process.  Thanks for letting me.