Do I try and shelter them from life? Hardly. It's our desire to introduce them to all types of people. all walks of life. all sorts of fun. To let them get really comfortable with the fact that there is a world full of crazy experiences awaiting them.
But in the midst of all that, to let them know, upfront, that there is a definite right and wrong way to interact with all that surrounds them. There is the choice to glorify Jesus in how we live our lives. Just like there is the choice to not. And regardless of what or how others live, we need to chose Jesus. We need to choose Life.
"I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore, choose life, that you and your descendants may live..." Deuteronomy 30:19
Sadly, I find this concept especially trying as a parent when considering children's entertainment. The books. The movies. Even the TV shows that come on PBS... Take this example for instance:
The other day, I walked into the kitchen to hear Selah say "Charis, let's pretend to be a wit*ch."
"Selah! What did you just say?!"
She shrinks back because she knows that I don't agree with that type of play. I explain that, again, in the clearest way possible...and she begins to cry, "I'm sorry, Mommy! I'm really sorry."
Thus, opens a door for a discussion about Do*ra. Though that character may talk about wit*ches like they are nice, that is not truth. Because, in fact, they are people who do very bad things. They hate Jesus and all He stands for, period. And therefore, we will not try to be anything like them, even in play.
But I know it has to be so confusing as a child. You love Dora. You read her books. She teaches you Spanish and how to be friends with people who are different than you. Yet she's lying to me about a wit*ch being good? It just doesn't add up.
Will they still get to watch Do*ra? Yes. I actually like most of what she talks about on that program. But my children will be armed with the truth concerning the people who really dabble in wit*chcraft. And if an episode comes on involving wi*tches and such, we will turn it off.
But as Jet and I are considering what movies our girls can watch, we're finding it's less a matter of the blatant "Okay, so you cannot emulate Wi*cca." Rather, it's more often about the fact that I don't want my kids to think it's okay to treat other people like the interactions seen on popular children's TV programs.
More times than not, I'm hearing the words 'moron' and 'idiot' and a plethora of other put-downs mixed into the threads of a Disney movie. Or a PBS show like Ses*ame Street and Dor*a. ??!!Even phrases like "Oh my god!" or "What the?!" or "I hate you" have shot out at me from my TV screen. Definitely attitudes and actions that I don't want my impressionable little girls adopting into the framework of their minds.
And it's not like we have ANY channels. Not even PBS. We carefully screen the library movies we let the girls watch. But even then, those rude interactions and disrespectful attitudes pop up unexpectedly... :(
To me, it's sad to have to say "No" to Aladdin and Toy Story and...whatever other movie is popular and loved by so many of little people. Movies that I actually like, but am finding that I cannot, in good conscience, let my girls see now.
Because, honestly, the bottom line is that we want to train them up with the knowledge that they have to be careful concerning how their time and thoughts are put to use. We want to train them up knowing that if we want to be a family walking in the Power of God, we have to be a family dedicated to making sure our entertainment and free time and subsequent attitudes don't hinder the Holy Spirit.
So as Selah said tonight as we tried to watch Aladdin for the first time ever: "We'll have to put that movie in the yardsale. Right, Mommy?"
It's a hard call, but it's one that the Lord taught me not to long back myself...
