I came from a no family background.at a time when “spare the rod spoil the child” was the philosophy of the time. Now it would be consider child abuse. I was institutionalised. I had two sisters but we were for the most part separated. I was controled by fear of punishment. I was in a Catholic Institution, and I’m sure they tried their best, but nothing takes the place of a loving family. Life was very hard and unhappy. The only love came mostly form Nuns who gave their lives to care for us. I was an orphan. Even the Nuns had their human faults but did teach me about my faith. Did I believe what they taught me, something stuck, but I had to grow in understanding by experience in the world. When I married later in life. I adopted three boys, my wifes’ children by first marriage. Her husband died in an auto accident. She couldn’t have any more children but I wanted more so we adopted a little six weeks baby girl. I came to love my Faith and had much training in it , I once aspired to be a priest, but God had other plans for me. While raising my children my wife had to teach me what family life was like. I was pretty hard-headed, coming from a tough background. I used what I was taught, dicipline. I didn’t want my children to wind up in hell or in prison so I was strict. The more they cut-up and disobeyed the stricter I got. The stricter I got the more they rebelled. I thought God abandoned me, I tried to do every thing by Him and the children but I was failing miserably. I tried everything, counciling, praying, even crying. This even threatened my marriage and that would have been the ultimate disaster because I thought that I failed God, my family, and myself and I didn’t have the slightest clue why. No-body could tell me what was wrong. One day I was checking the labor routine we had at home. There it was, the ring around the tub. One of my sons was born with a real lazy streak., I fought it for thirteen years I disciplined many times to no avail. As I contemplated the dirty tub these thoughts ran through my mind. You are a Christian and you are having a hard time, even losing your temper. These children don’t even know Christ, they resisted your teaching. What is Christ all about. He came to redeem us from the works of Satan. What are the works of Satan. Rebellion, sin, disobedience to authority. If your children don’t know Christ, they are victims. I was expecting from my children what they could not give, I committed and injustice against them, and made a poor showing of understanding and love. I was fighting Satan and his influence on my children and me. When this revelation struck me, I became remorseful, what have I done to my children. I learned that I wasn’t their saviour, I was accidentally playing saviour. My whole approach changed towards my children, my wife and the world. Then God blessed me by enforcing the truth I shared with them about their conduct. If they disobeyed me I no longer had to discipline them, God had His way of doing it. Today my children believe in Jesus. They still have much to learn, but I leave it Gods’ hands, I keep praying for them. We Christian must learn that the most we can do to bring our children to the Lord is to point the way to Christ by word and example. Faith is a gift that comes from Jesus alone. We can’t pass on the faith, it comes from a one on one relationship with Christ, an encounter. We can pass on the truths of our faith, but it is the grace of God that makes it possible to assimilate them. If we try any other way Satan will frustrate us, there is only one Saviour, Jesus Christ. By doing the best we can in our own personal conduct, like no matter what our kids do love them unconditionally, No matter how much they may hurt us, but remain firm in our Faith in Christ and He will bring it to a beautiful ending.
