"Our joys, our gladness, our fun came from within. They sprang from that sense of security, love, and belonging, which our parents gave us so lavishly. They came, too, from the sense of Order. I spell it deliberately with an "O" because it stems from the great and tranquil ORDER OF GOD HIMSELF.
When the life of an individual or a family is rooted in that great tranquility of God's order, when its ends are Christocentric, and Faith is an essential part of it, then joy, true laughter, and real gaiety flower abundantly in that individual's or that family's life. Then children grow up in an atmosphere of love and tenderness. Where love is, God is."
I would love to see more of this type of writing in today's world. I am hungry for the old way of doing things. We have been programed to evaluate how children are feeling and if their emotional needs are being met and if they have all of the age-appropriate toys to such an extreme that I think we miss the main thing: are we rooting our family in the love of God? are we giving our children the confidence of our love and thus, the confidence of God's love? are we teaching our children that love is not found through what their parents give them materially, but through the daily focusing on Christ's order and His calling to us as a family?
These are points I am pondering. How can I, personally, do this for my boys? My first thought is to move out of the city, learn about farming, and live according to the seasons: make our own bread, grow our own fruits and veggies, keep some animals, etc. But that's not practical (at least for me), nor does it encourage being the salt of the earth. So I'll have to evaluate how to do this realistically and in our time. Besides, it all sounds nice and romantic, but in reality I don't like animals much...
5 comments:
hi, i checked your blog out earlier today and saw the cutest video of a cute little guy crawling!!! but now i just checked back in and the video is gone. : (
(saw you posted it on facebook too, so i guess i can pop back over there to see him again!) hope you and your guys are doing good this week and that you are enjoying having a CAR!!!
p.s. dave got some good news today, he is making his phone calls tomorrow, so you will be hearing from him! : ) : )
love alisha
I can totally understand wanting to be away from everything and living "off the land". I'd avoid the whole wide world if I could! While I was reading this, though, God reminded me about Jesus' ministry. He didn't avoid people. He went to the people. I think of the woman at the well. He knew she'd be there. He knew her sins. He talked to her! We don't think much about it today but in the culture at the time, and even today in some part of the middle east, women are really unimportant. To have a stranger, a man, to have God the Son talk to her is so awesome! And so important. Jesus went to those that needed Him the most. He knew the proud of heart wouldn't want Him. It was those that were poor in spirit and needy.
I'm kind of doing some blah, blah, blah here. Sorry about that. I guess I was thinking that for myself as much as I would want to avoid the sins and hatred in the world I am reminded that God didn't. Where would I be if God had avoided me?
So true, Cabcree! I agree wholeheartedly. I was trying to say that to an extent. The conundrum arises, though, when I think of what I want to teach my kids. And I think that is, essentially, how to be IN the world, but not OF the world.
I was also TRYING to say that living off the land and relying on the earth/ourselves for our living seems like a great way to teach kids responsibility, how to rely on each other as a family, and gives them a closer relationship with God's creation.
But I'm not eloquent enough to sum all of my thoughts up on one post...
Christy I feel the same way. And though I would love to settle on some farm somewhere with my family. I realized like you that I don't think I really want to milk a cow everyday and clean it's poop. ha ha It is hard enough to clean out the gueina pig cage. But there is something in bringing up the kids in a atmosphere that is Christ centered and doing things the old fashion way and not being so much in a hurry about things. And not allowing more of the world than needs be until they are old enough to handle it. Which means T.V. and such is limited and free play is encouraged. : ) Anyway sorry if i do not make sense just some thoughts that i thought where in the same direction you were thinking.
This is such a a beautiful post! I'd love to read that book.
It's true that going agrarian isn't always the most workable answer to everything, but I think it's also true that the time we can and do spend "the old fashioned way" helps with that "Order" on a deep level. There is patience there, method, diligence, learning the wisdom of the Creator. It's both grounding, and humbling. I think that instinct to simplify and "go back" is a true one, and can be a wonderful instrument of ministry. But like most facets of life, it will become either self-focused or a gift to God for others.
Thanks so much for sharing!
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