So we had a movie night the other night, and it sparked quite a few thoughts for me! I will attempt to corral them all into some kind of orderly box!! (not a great chance of success!) In between paragraphs i will have pictures of some of our house reno's and the kids helping!!! (Because kids (yours included!!! ...If their under 7 at least!) are super cute)
So our kids have not seen a lot of movies. ....Less than 3 i think... They enjoy watching episodes of kids cartoons, etc! (I do not count those as movies) So its not that we are anti-movie, but we are indeed careful what we take in with media. One of our previous staff in Alberta was actually surprised to find we had a tv in our house. Which is very interesting to think about why someone comes to a conclusion like that about a person?
Our 'carefulness' around media seemed to have had an impact on the Christian staff at Brightwood ranch. Its counter cultural, and you kind of stick out like a red nose reindeer when these topics come up! Sometimes I also stick out for the wrong reasons, but these as well our opportunities to own the wrong which people take notice of. I do hope you are challenged with me in looking at which ways God has allowed you to be a light in the darkness. Even a little light cannot be ignored in a pitch black room.
So anywho.... back to the main story! Our kids have picked up on the sensitivity to movies, and its can be intense! So we were watching the Sound of Music as a family. Yes there was a little bit of a scary part at the end of the movie, which we warned our kids about it, and perhaps that was our mistake... but they were expecting something bad to happen at any time in the entire movie!!!! In the opening scene where Maria is singing, Charlie says, "I feel really scared!!" If you've seen the movie, its one of the most peaceful scenes ever! (Personally i think he was thinking a bear was bound to come down those mountains at any moment to attack her!) So i got awesome 4 year old Charlie snuggles the rest of the movie. At another point in the movie when there is some kissing (not married yet!) Charlie says very seriously, "Are they allowed to do that more than once?!" It was so funny, yet so precious. We have not talked to him about kissing, or given him rules about kissing, yet in his little heart there's a little flag that says, "Hey is this okay?!"
After many pauses throughout the movie to explain things to Jade, to help her be brave, to calm her down, we made it through! Amanda I were thinking. where do our kids pick up such fear and expectations that bad things happen in movies??? They haven't seen anything scary in a movie. Its not that we shelter them from relevant, scary stuff in their lives outside of movies. We don't edit our bible stories for the kids. Ask Jade to tell you the story of Goliath or Jael one day!! As well we are reading history books for kids (Amanda and i really love them1!) and there's fighting, killing, treason, torture etc! Our kids do get scared at times in these books, and do shed some tears, but they are able to handle it super well compared to movies.
So... What is my everchanging conclusion in all of this? I believe the world is not getting any easier for kids to be kids. I want our kids to be ready for whatever comes their way, even persecution for their faith. When a Christian faces an exceedingly challenging time in their lives, many lose their faith during those crisis's. So our heart is to raise kids that will be resilient against hardships in their lives. Not a pessimistic view of always expecting something bad to happen, but knowing that bad things happen, and the Lord will guide us through whatever that looks like. In out parenting adventure we are in such a delicate balance with our kids of keeping them sensitive to the realities of the world, at the same time equipping them to walk through the hard things in life knowing their savior is with them regardless of the outcome. We do not want them to be full of fear and anxiety. (Good prayer point for our family)
I do not want to shelter my kids from the world, but I desire for them to stand on the solid rock, which is a relationship with Jesus, and endure the storms that come in. I do not want my kids to be able to just watch exciting adventure movies.... I want them to physically, in real life, become part of the adventures that Christ is calling them to! I want them to pick up their cross and follow Jesus, whatever the cost may be! Disciplining your own kids is so challenging, yet so rewarding!
Our only hope for our children is through what Jesus does in them and through us for them. I need so much help with my parenting, I fall short of what they need every day. Yet God is so gracious in working through me and helping me be a Father, as he guides me by being my FATHER.
***IF you've noticed by the pictures, Fletcher is the most hands on maintenance type of baby i've ever worked with!
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