18

I'm on my knees today.

I had the talk with my 13 year old... the one that starts "Do you realize you only have 5 years till you are 18?"

It might be a heavy load for a 13 year old, but when you fight against good habits someone is missing the big picture. The big picture is that good habits developed when a kid is 13 will carry them right through to independence and old age. On their own.

Parenting is kind of like a cross country race: when you get 2/3rds through you think it's never going to end. And the real reason I'm on my knees has to do with the current debate about the role of government and the extent of government. What will the world be like five years from now? What should I be training my kids to expect, accept, and adapt for?

I don't know, but God does. So I ask him to help me to focus on the present with an eye to the future, and forever. Help me to keep the goal in front of both me and my loved ones. Help us to see the sinful rebellion in our souls and concentrate on the habits of a Godly and useful life. Steer us clear of the pitfalls and easy trails that lead to laziness, gluttony, and ruin. Interrupt my child's life when they are willfully choosing to hurt themselves: either in attitude or action.

The next five years are a mystery. But the Godly will still be at peace, harmony, and confident in a God who has seen it all.

May that lesson be an integral part of my children: more than the tidiness of their room.