A Sad Realization

Alison and I went to Wendy's for lunch the other day. It just so happened to be lunch time for the kids the high school directly across the street. So before we knew it, the place was infiltrated with tons and tons of crazy teenagers.

These kids were awful... They were swearing, throwing chairs and food at one another, and this one couple was making out hard core. Apart from all of the other things that were going on, just the average conversations were shocking, to say the least. These kids were talking and joking about sex, parties, skipping class, alcohol, etc... I didn't hear one thing that didn't shock me. At one point on the of the kids knocked Nathan while walking by him and they had no remorse or care for anyone else in the universe but themselves.

I just sat there looking at these kids and then looking at Brooke and Nathan. I think it hit me that raising Brooke and sending her out into the world is going to be harder than I ever thought possible. I know that before I know it she will have to go into a society of scary people and fight to make her place in the world. People won't always be nice to her... They may not think she's pretty, they might pick on her clothes or her hair and they'll be mean if she's too smart or not smart enough. And you know what the worst part is? I will have to tell her that living the Christian life means persecution. Thinking about all of this has really caused me to pray more thoroughly about Brooke's future than I had been. Yes, I've been praying, but now I'm specifically praying for Brooke's future teachers and friendships as she grows.

What's the answer? I'm here to say that I've been to Christian high school and I was accepted LESS there than at public school. I have never been treated so rudely or judged as much as I was by the people of a Christian school. On the other side, in public high school I got into trouble and I know that I didn't let my light shine like I should have. I believe that if we take all our Christian kids out of schools and home school or send them to Christian schools then we have taken our Godly influences out of the schools. As much as I hate it, I think that my daughter is going to have to be a difference one day, when I would much rather cage her up and protect her from the world's harm. At this point, with all of the fear inside of me, I think it would be easier to home school or to cough up the money for private education.

This parenting thing is hard work. I thought of having this precious little baby and I never thought of her future and how scary it would all be for me. I'm just thankful that I have God in my life and that Brooke is HIS and not mine. What a reassurance!