Giving My Kids a Safe Place to Fall

Last updated on: June 19, 2012 at 8:15 am by Amy Julia Becker

Giving My Kids a Safe Place to Fall 2012-06-19T08:15:59-04:00 Amy Julia Becker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Wriggling out of Mom's arms...

I used to sing lullabies, and every night Marilee still hears “Close Your Eyes” or “Sleep My Child” when she goes to bed. Penny and William have graduated, of their own doing, and now they want me to sing “church songs.” It started at Christmas, when we went through three months of singing “Hark the Herald,” “Joy to the World,” and “Silent Night.” Somehow we moved from their to “plain church songs.”

Any song that has to do with Jesus fits the bill, from contemporary worship to ancient hymn to liturgical chant. I go from “Holy, Holy ,Holy” to “Shout to the Lord” to “Be Thou My Vision.” William usually asks questions along the way: “What grace mean, Mom?” Or, “can you sing the one about being lost?” (by which he means “Amazing Grace”). Penny works hard to memorize the words and I will often overhear her murmuring lines as she looks out the window or we go for a walk, everything from “dip your heart in the stream of life” to “merciful and mighty.” Her favorite song is “He Knows My Name,” a simple song about Gods knowledge and love for us. She knows that one by heart, and I always smile when I hear her singing: “before even time began, my life was in His hand.” William’s favorite is “Shelter,” about God’s faithful protection of us, generation by generation.

The snippets of theology sung or questioned by my children don’t convince me that they have “accepted Jesus into their hearts,” or that they will grow up without doubts or that they will keep going to church all their lives. But it does give me hope that the words are leaving an imprint on their hearts.

They may very well walk away, whether as teenagers or adults, from this childhood faith we are trying to pass along. My goal is not to dictate what they believe or to think that if we do it right they will conform to our desires. I just want to lay out a net for them, in hopes that later in life, when they discover suffering or betrayal or heartache, they will have a safe place to fall. When they find themselves in need, when they find themselves in pain, when they feel that their life is falling part, I pray that they will land in the arms of a God who has and does and will love them. Who is their shelter. Who knows their name.

Previous Post

June 18, 2012

What Matters to you during this Election?

Next Post

June 22, 2012 Do Your Abilities Determine Who You Are?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Articles Books Disability Down Syndrome Faith family Perfectly Human Uncategorized

Select a Month February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 September 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz