God has changed our family A LOT over the last 3-4 years. Thus, the name of this blog. The changes have been exciting....and I kind of thought they were mostly over. Silly me. Then I starting reading Voddie Baucham's book Family Driven Faith. I've been wanting to read it for several months and I finally just went and bought it the other night. I read the first few chapters and went to bed thinking to myself, "Dadgumit, Voddie."
It seems God might not be finished with revisions around here. Really, it's not Voddie's fault. But I can tell this book is going to challenge me even further.
He speaks about a "biblical worldview" in the book. This is a fairly new phrase to me. The more I learn about it, the more I realize that for most of my life I have NOT been operating under any such view. I have been pretty good about staying on the prescribed path our culture (the world) has laid out for me. Start dating in high school, graduate, go to college, get engaged, graduate college, get on birth control, get married, start career, decide I'm "ready" to have children, have 2 children, return to work after each one...
...and here's where it starts to get interesting. But first let me say that not everything I listed above is evil and sinful and should never be a part of any Christian's life. I'm not saying that. I'm just saying that I never thought about doing anything differently. I read the Bible and applied it to my situation as it benefited me to do so. I never read God's word and allowed it to determine my course of action. I never got off the path....or even thought about getting off, really. That's why I am so in awe of homeschoolers from the 70's and early 80's. Really? Keep the kids home? How did it ever occur to them to do such a thing?
So anyway, a good friend of mine was keeping my girls while I was at work each day. She had been keeping Sweetheart for about 2 1/2 years and Little Bit for 3 months. When I picked the girls up one day, my friend told me she didn't want to babysit next year. "OK," I replied. "Don't worry about it. God will provide another babysitter." I started praying all the way home. But the thing is...He didn't. A few months later we still had not found an arrangement that would work and I told S, "I'm qualified to keep them." Then we just kind of looked at each other.
It was a scary, scary decision to lose around 50% of our income. We knew we could make it for one year. But if I quit and it didn't work out, it's not like I could go back to my old job. I would have to find a new one...and we would still have to find child care. But we did it. Talk about a step (or leap!) of faith.
But I wasted the whole year by sending Sweetheart off to Kindergarten ten days before she even turned 5, (why didn't I keep her home with me?) and worrying over money. Our situation had changed, but my thinking had not.
Then I read a book by Debi Pearl. That book shifted my thinking on marriage. I got it! I understood the way God intended things to work. I must say, it's interesting to me now....looking back...that God began re-shaping our family by working on our marriage first. Hmmm.
Tomorrow...the next revision.
I read Family Driven Faith about 6 months ago, and like you, was struck by the reality that I wasn't operating from a Christian worldview. It's truly a process to renew a mind that has been operating from one perspective for 30 plus years, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteSometimes when my husband is wiping and reloading one of the computers in our house, it takes a long time depending on the type of virus or spyware we allowed to get in because we refused to abide by the guidleines he told us to use when online. Sometimes it's a short process if he's simply updating protective software rather than trying to undo damage.
My prayer is that as parents we can, with God's help, steer our children in a direction where they only need to update their protective software rather than having to wipe away everything they have been programmed to believe and start over. Thanks for sharing this post, Brenda, and I'm looking forward to part two.
I do believe we are kindred spirits. In the series I'm working on about my son James, I'm remembering some of these same things. How the path I was on wasn't challenged by the world, but it was not what God desired for me. And when He begins to intervene, Wow! I'm looking forward to more of what you have to write on this.
ReplyDeleteBrenda,
ReplyDeletei love your blog for your willingness to do what God wants you to do. I love seeing the changes in your family. I looked forward to more of your thoughts on this book!!
Terry, that's a really good analogy. Un-doing is a bit more work!
ReplyDeleteHey you tricked me with the Voddie name- I thought it was a woman!
ReplyDeleteBut I am loving this series you're on, so keep it coming. It is a-speakin' to me!
Oh Brenda. I just listened to Voddie on Family Life and have several of his podcasts waiting for me to hear. Now, per your recommendation, I will get the book as it is very applicable to our family right now. I have not always had a biblical worldview, it really only happened in the last year, and things that were no big deal before (like some of the things you mentioned) seem to be grating against my soul.
ReplyDeleteAnd, as for Debi Pearl's book. I have my nose in it right now, and I can't put it down. It all makes total sense now, doesn't it? I get it too. Praise be to God!
Can't wait for tomorrow to hear what you have to say!