Ridgell's Originals

I am so thankful that my kids are faithful Christians. But I think we sometimes overlook something very important when talking about wanting our kids to be faithful. We made an intentional choice to raise them to be Christians, but it was not as easy as we sometimes make it out to be. As great as the Christian life is, and as much as I wanted them to choose that life ... I also knew it would come at great cost.

By choosing to be Christians, I knew my children would always be at odds with their culture. They would live different and the world would not understand. That makes it hard growing up different. And when they did not live up to the Christian life they had chosen, they would be miserable until they got their focus back on Jesus. That is painful.

I knew that we were raising them to be people that might not be successful by the world's standards. God could chose to bless them, but they would live in a world that is selfish and hard. They would be in a culture that would hurt them and use them. People would betray them, take advantage of them, and well ... not be like Jesus.

Kingdom business would be more important to them than the world's business. They would grow up and choose to deny themselves, take up the cross daily and follow Jesus.

And they would be persecuted. Because that is what the world does to Christians. And they would never be at home in this world. Because it would not be home.

But it is a life that brings joy, peace, hope, and purpose. It is a life of love. It is a life lived for something bigger than us. And it is a life lived forever.

It is the life that their grandparents chose. It is the life Marsha and I chose. It is the life they chose. As did their spouses. And now they are raising my grandkids in a way that they will someday choose that life.

And I couldn't be prouder. Or happier.

Or more thankful.