Reading

There are so many things that came to mind to write about this week but as soon as I sat down to write, they were all gone. Then a new subject came to me: school. I had always dreamed of being a stay at home mom. I did not think about homeschooling because I did not realize how dysfunctional our current school system is. I regret that I did not fight for the education my boys needed when they were in school. Of course, they both excelled in school, way better than I ever did.

The one thing I did for them was read to them from an early age. They enjoyed reading when it was not forced upon them. They would bring home books from the school and town library and just get involved in the stories. They both read beyond their grade levels and I found that as a way to connect to them. I kept encouraging them to read what interested them. It was one of the cost effective ways to spend time with them and discuss life lessons as well.

There is just one difference between my boys' reading habits: the Bible. My oldest son always fought me when it came to reading the Bible and going to church, even from the young age of 3-4 years old. He fought the nursey workers and the teachers, but most of all, me. For a time, I got my husband to go to church and my oldest fought him as well.

My youngest loved going to church and reading the Bible. I don't know how much of the Bible he has read; I never pushed him to read it all the way through; maybe I should have. However, I know he would read it and have lessons ready for youth group when the leaders were away. He was never afraid to talk about what he read in the Bible and we had some wonderful discussions.

I often wonder, why such a difference? What caused one son to love God and His word and the other say that it is just a book written by people and that it's not true? That answer to those two questions is free will and the influence of the world. Two boys raised in church with two different outcomes. God gave us free will to choose to follow Him. He doesn't want forced love or us all to act the same. He wants it to be freely given. As a mother, in either situation, all I can do is pray and continue to guide them the best I can. I try my absolute best to live the way God wants me to live. I have some family who refuse to talk about God, they will not allow any conversation in their presence. So, the way I figure it, I will show them the Word of God in my actions and how I handle things if I am not allowed to speak. I will never give up and neither will God. Keep reading your Bibles, study and pray for understanding of it.