Christian Foundations
DEVOTIONAL ARCHIVE
by Dennis and Barbara Rainey
Families should be a place of security-but also a place where parents teach their children that ultimate security is in God's hands, not ours. One morning as I pulled out of our garage to go to the airport, my daughter Ashley, then a preteen, rushed out to give me one more hug. I could tell something was troubling her. Reaching out through the car window to hold her hand, I asked, "What's wrong, Princess?"
"I'm afraid your airplane is going to crash," she said, obviously a bit embarrassed by her admission. A recent airplane crash in Dallas had sent unsettling shock waves of fear through my daughter.
"Planes are safer than driving, Ashley," I said reassuringly. "Besides, my life is in God's hands and He knows what He's doing." By now my tender-hearted young Ashley was clutching my hand in both of hers, and I could see that my theological lesson had fallen short of its mark. Fear was visible on her face.
I went on to explain that fear is a normal emotion, but that she could give it to God. "You're in the process of learning how to depend less on me and more on Him," I said. "I won't always be here to answer your questions-but God will. Now, it's as if there are invisible electrical cords coming from you to me and your mom. And our responsibility is to unplug those cords from us and teach you how to plug them into God."
I then took one of her hands and gently "unplugged" one of those "invisible strands" from me. She frowned and then grinned as I guided her hand above her head and helped her visualize plugging into God. "Ashley," I said as I tenderly squeezed her hand, "I need to go, and you're going to have to take your fear to Jesus Christ. He can give you the peace."
As I pulled out of the driveway, I waved at Ashley and she grinned back. I thought about how the culture she is growing up in doesn't know where to "plug in." I was glad I could point her to the Lord.
Ask God to enable you to model a life that is plugged into God.
Discuss: Are there any areas of your life that aren't plugged in? What can you do to begin teaching your children how to become dependent upon God?
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