Peanuts found in Brain - Exposed!
We are reading an autobiography of Gladys Aylward in our history class. She was a missionary to China in the 1930's onward. One of the stories that happened later in her years in China was of when the Communists came to power. She was on a college campus and the Communists made all the students sign a form and at the bottom, it made them agree allegiance to the Communist party. After time, those who did not sign, all Christians, were brought into a courtyard and asked one more time to sign, individually. The first person asked a 17yr old, new convert, said no, she was then beheaded*. One after another they asked the Christians to sign, one after another, they said no, and one after another their heads were cut off.*
Lately, my peanut brain has been trying to get its grasp around just how in the world could they let a school district give out birth control to 6th graders. But this short thought quickly multiplies itself with this that and the other and in the end, in essence, I realized that I am not as "safe" in my government as I thought I was as a Christian.
I understand reality... the Bible says that when the storms of life come, that family members will turn against each other, that the world rejected Christ, what do you think they are going to do with you? But in my peanut brain, I like to think that, oh, everything is fine, it will all work itself out, why get your undies in a bunch over this or that, they are just going to do what they want but you will still have freedoms, it won't go all downhill, why fight it now?
They beheaded 200* students that day back in China, and I can't help but think about the 200th student and what was going on in their mind. Why fight it? They could've just signed... but they didn't.
This week, in Geography, we learned about a small country whose main export is this drug, similar to marijuana. So this week, we, as parents, got to explain what drugs are to our 7 and 5 year old, in age appropriate, understandable, terms, relating it back to things we know are important to them. And, just like a few years ago when we explained to them what cigarettes are and their effects, the discussion did not end that day but it has continued since and now our kids freely can talk to us about both subjects.
We, as parents, want to be the ones to talk to them about sex, both heterosexual and homosexual. And we have already started in little ways, and with each day we add a little more as it is age appropriate. But that is the point, WE, as parents, are doing it, starting the conversations as the issues arise and keeping the discussion open.
Slowly, our government is taking away our rights as parents... oh well, it's all going to work out in the end, why fight it? No, No, No! Above the head of this government is God, He is without political party branding of any kind and like those precious college students, it is to Him we will serve first.
I have never thought of myself as being one to want to get involved in such political matters more than the prayers I lift up for our government each day or voting in elections. I do not know quite yet how this will manifest itself but it definitely makes me more aware and more serious of the things that will start coming our way... but I tell you what, easy or hard, I will fight it.
*Beheading was actually a common thing in China even before the Communists and was performed by the mandarin for crimes like stealing and such.
**I am sleepy and it is late, so if I remember, I will double checks my facts on this event. I will say it is a decent paraphrase but probably may have some holes.
***Again, I think the number was 200 but I can't quite remember right now.
Wow! Great post! VERY inspiring. Thank you for being parents who love their children enough to talk about the tough issue! Praise God!
If you haven't, you (and other bloggers and readers) should read "Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God" by Noel Piper (John Piper's wife) - it's truly amazing. I think Gladys Aylward was featured, but I could be mistaken on that.
I will look into that Elise! Thanks! I know of two other books on her life that I am planning on reading just for my own fun and not for school as well! I also hear there is a movie of her life that is a lot Hollywood and some truth, The Inn of the Sixth Happinesses (even though her inn was called The Inn of the Eight Happinesses). I also rechecked in the book we have and I did recount the story as they wrote it, but it does say over 200 students were beheaded no only 200. She prayed this prayer during the time, "If they must die, let them not be afraid of death, but let there be a meaning, O God, in their dying."
Dana, I think that as a whole our family structure is declining and so it's forcing some schools to become more of a "parent" to the students. I'm not saying that's right or good, but simply a fact that is becoming all to real. One of my college friends did Teach for America in Baltimore for the last two years. She has stories that could make your heart break. Stories of kids whose fathers are in jail and whose mothers don't come home for days or weeks at a time. She taught 7th grade, which means kids as young as 11 or 12 are literally raising themselves. Bill Cosby just came out with a book (Come on People) where he addresses the issue of selfishness in our country and how it is leading to a parentless society. So, I appauld you and Josh for being PARENTS to your children. Your influence over them is more important and valuable then I think either of you will ever realize.
That is a really good, yet sad point Sarah. It is almost like the only solution is 2 separate ideas that can never be joined. On the one hand, services need to be in place to help parent the "parentless" but we also need to not take away rights from those who are trying to parent their children as they see best. You comment makes me think, is it selfish of me to want to maintain the rights as a parent and refuse the protection of other kids?
Thanks so much for this post Dana. I think you've raised an important issue. For the past several decades, the rights of parents and Christians in this country have been eroded because they didn't fight back. They didn't even show up in the courtroom to litigate these issues...other groups were able to push their agendas through unopposed. It's hard to know what our role is as Christians in the whole political process, but I think God wants us to be involved in standing up for what's important to him. The organization that ran the program I did last summer, the Alliance Defense Fund, does a lot of work in this area if you're interested.
Thanks for the info Lindsy! I will look into them. My last comment, I was thinking, then the obvious solution is to homeschool right? That way, the public schools can help the kids whose parents need it and then we can stop the public school from doing crazy things, and that is a non-confrontational way to get around it, but not necessarily fighting. However, like you pointed out, and where my thoughts quickly raced after this became news in the first place, was that my right to homeschool is not a guarantee. Yes, I can homeschool today, but soon, say I will have more hoops to jump through to do so. And unfortunately it will not be because of being what is best for my kids, but because in some way I have gotten my kids out from under the control of the state and someone, somewhere will think that the state needs more control of me as well, even though everything is fine and dandy in our home. I just read how people are getting all upset about families using "religious reasons" for not vaccinating their kids. People are now using that reason, even if they don't have the "religious reasons" because they are worried about getting their kids vaccinated but know that they are required to get kids vaccinated in order to send their kids to daycares or schools UNLESS they use this exception. Maybe they will change that law as well in some fashion, either removing the exception or having some other catch built in, etc. I do not think we are "safe" even if we homeschool. But no matter where our kids go to school, it is our responsibility to 'train them in the way they should go, so that when they are older they will not fall from it." Above anything else, we can be the more influential player in our child's lives if we take that place and own it and above all else, have their hearts.