A Tiny Hole by Cindy Batson    

         Raising children is quite an adventure! Just when you think you have them figured out, something new comes along. Over the years we have come to the conclusion that some things are not worth arguing about.

         When our girls were little I think I wasted a lot of time worrying about the little stuff. I wanted to make sure their socks matched, their hair was neatly combed, their rooms were kept neat, and the list goes on.

         As parents, we need to be concerned about our children’s spiritual lives. That is the most important issue. As our girls have grown into young adults we have tried to focus on teaching spiritual truths. We take every opportunity to testify of God’s protection and grace. We urged them not to let the culture influence them.

         We thought we were doing that successfully until one of our daughters asked if we would mind if she got her nose pierced.  Did we mind?! We didn’t like the idea, but she was a young adult in college.  After giving all of the reasons why she should not do it, we finally decided to let her make the decision.

         Well, you guessed it.  She got her nose pierced. We decided not to over-react. It was a small stud that was barely noticeable. She is a fine young lady who loves the Lord and serves Him in so many wonderful ways. Was a little hole in her nose such a big deal?

         After about a year, we had grown accustomed to her new look and hardly noticed it. She returned home for a vacation break and said, “Do you notice anything different about me?” The nose ring was gone, and it didn’t even leave a scar! Well, we made it through another one. We can look back now and see that this was not such a big deal after all.

         With what issue do you struggle as you try to raise Godly sons and daughters? I have learned to ask: Does it matter for eternity?; How does it impact their relationship with God and us?; Can we let them make the decision and learn from the consequences?

         Pray for your children every day and steer them in God’s direction. Sometimes you just have to let them make their own decisions and save the arguments for the important things that will affect their eternal destiny and testimony for the Lord.

 © 2001 Cynthia L. Batson