Family Walk

I don't pretend to have many answers about the best or right ways to raise kids and share what you believe with them. How do you teach them those things that you believe without it becoming indoctrination? What I do know is that I don't want them to believe that God is just about handing out blessings and miraculously making everything perfect for us. I want to model to them trusting in God even when everything feels too much and God doesn't seem to be stepping in to sort it out.

I absolutely wish that my kids didn't have to go through all they are dealing with on this transplant journey. I wish I could tell them that everything will be OK. But as we walk this path as a family there are some beautiful moments.

Yesterday our church gave us some time to share what was going on and then a number of people gathered around us to pray. Our 10 year old joined us at the front and stood and hugged me while people prayed. She knows this is her story. It's her pain and sadness. She wants to be in the mix and hear what people are praying. 

The above are a set of photos I took years ago of the hospital where my wife works. It's probably not 100% clear but it says "HOPE" and I wanted to remind her of the hope that she brings to her patients.

Our 9 year old shared with us yesterday that she'd found in her journal something from Easter saying "whenever she sees a cross she sees hope". While at the park she then collected a number of sticks and has made 5 crosses (one for each of us) and we plan to try and put them up by the "HOPE" photos. We can't promise her that this is all going to be OK when she asks us, but she has found for herself where she will go to find hope.

In the Bible, we often come across the idea of a mountaintop experience. This is found when people have been led up a mountain and meet in a powerful and intimate way with God. Lots of Christians will talk of significant moments in their faith as mountain top experiences as they see something more of who God is and of God's love.

Years ago a group of us were in Morocco and climbed Mount Erdouz (3,600m). It was an incredibly exhausting day. I genuinely only made it to the summit because of the support (emotionally and physically) of some of the team. But at the top the views were amazing looking out over the rest of the Atlas Mountains.

As we were heading back down the mountain, our guide and leader said something to the effect of "It gives you a fresh perspective on a mountain top experience when you have expended so much energy and been through so much pain to be there." And that's what I'm hoping for for this family- that aching and exhausted, having thought we can't do it, we will get to that place of rest, with glorious views, knowing that we're stronger, more resilient and with time to recover and find some peace.