My Children's Bill of Rights
It's been a busy few weeks. Kati packed up her first apartment in Philadelphia in preparation for spending her "summer" in South Africa. She left last Wednesday to work with the churches in Johannesburg and Durban. She will be gone 11 weeks. Then she will be back in Philly to start college. Nick graduated on Friday from Virginia Tech with a degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering. He will be moving to Texas in July to pursue his dream of training for the ministry. Another season of change! Exciting times!
I hope this blog has been helpful to you, Nick and Kati, as you get a glimpse of our life in Kenya. While there is still more to come from Kenya and even more from South Africa, I wanted to share with you one of the greatest benefits writing this has been for me. It has reminded me of some important things. And I hope that it will help me to remember to keep you in my prayers and in my heart but never keep you from following your own dreams.
I don't really know how to put this, so I am just going to say that I have come to the conviction that you have the same rights to experience life that your dad and I have had (and continue to have!). For example, you have the right to move anywhere in this world that you believe God is directing you!
You have the right to live in a small apartment with no furniture! You have the right to live for several months on whatever money you can scrounge together while looking for gainful employment, if the need should ever arise. You have the right to learn and grow and make mistakes and learn and grow and make more mistakes and enjoy every lesson God teaches you!
You have the right to marry the man and woman of your dreams and raise your children half way around the world from us if that is what you decide. You have the right to start a business. You have the right to work hard. You have the right to become so close to your friends that they become like family. You have the right to struggle. You have the right to go through difficult times. You have the right to climb mountains. You have the right to experience joys so amazing that they are hard to describe.
You have the right to wish you could do some things differently. You have the right to wish you could do some things over and over again because they were just so cool. You have the right to seek advice. You have the right to make your own decisions.
With those rights come some responsibilities as well. You have to live with every decision you make. You have to forgive yourself and others for the mistakes you and they make. You have to enjoy and embrace this life that God has graciously given you, determined to accomplish all that He puts in your path. You have the responsibility to love. To love God. To love each other. To love your family. To love your friends. To love your neighbors and to love your enemies. To persevere. To overcome. To have fun. To smile and laugh out loud as often as you can.
I believe your hearts are set on pilgrimage. Stay close to God and remember what your dad often quotes - "Life is a daring adventure...or nothing at all." I love you!
I hope this blog has been helpful to you, Nick and Kati, as you get a glimpse of our life in Kenya. While there is still more to come from Kenya and even more from South Africa, I wanted to share with you one of the greatest benefits writing this has been for me. It has reminded me of some important things. And I hope that it will help me to remember to keep you in my prayers and in my heart but never keep you from following your own dreams.
I don't really know how to put this, so I am just going to say that I have come to the conviction that you have the same rights to experience life that your dad and I have had (and continue to have!). For example, you have the right to move anywhere in this world that you believe God is directing you!
You have the right to live in a small apartment with no furniture! You have the right to live for several months on whatever money you can scrounge together while looking for gainful employment, if the need should ever arise. You have the right to learn and grow and make mistakes and learn and grow and make more mistakes and enjoy every lesson God teaches you!
You have the right to marry the man and woman of your dreams and raise your children half way around the world from us if that is what you decide. You have the right to start a business. You have the right to work hard. You have the right to become so close to your friends that they become like family. You have the right to struggle. You have the right to go through difficult times. You have the right to climb mountains. You have the right to experience joys so amazing that they are hard to describe.
You have the right to wish you could do some things differently. You have the right to wish you could do some things over and over again because they were just so cool. You have the right to seek advice. You have the right to make your own decisions.
With those rights come some responsibilities as well. You have to live with every decision you make. You have to forgive yourself and others for the mistakes you and they make. You have to enjoy and embrace this life that God has graciously given you, determined to accomplish all that He puts in your path. You have the responsibility to love. To love God. To love each other. To love your family. To love your friends. To love your neighbors and to love your enemies. To persevere. To overcome. To have fun. To smile and laugh out loud as often as you can.
I believe your hearts are set on pilgrimage. Stay close to God and remember what your dad often quotes - "Life is a daring adventure...or nothing at all." I love you!