It’s A Matter of Trust
Christ should be heard in our speech;
Christ should be seen in our life;
Christ should be perceived in our hearts.”
-St. Peter Damian
My wife and I recently had a conversation with our daughter who is in high school. Among other topics, she talked about her classmates – how they have been dating since middle school. She talked about one young woman who is in 10th grade. She has been dating the same boy for three years. They recently broke up, and she was so distraught she cried endlessly for several days. My daughter believes they may now be back together again, so all is well in this young lady’s life. Or is it?
As we allow dating at such a young age, we allow our children to not only give of themselves physically, as if that wasn’t bad enough, but they give up their hearts prematurely to another. Clearly, at such a young age, they are not ready for either of such large commitments. This cycle of dating, breaking up, getting back together, and so on, leads our children to a learned behavior that they can carry on to adulthood. They will date, as adults, and possibly marry. But if things don’t go as they wish, they will just “break up”. It’s not such a big deal when you’ve been doing it since 6th grade. When you add in the fact that many kids today lack an understanding of their faith, then they do not see relationships, and marriage, as a commitment, but rather just a self-pleasurable experience. If they lose that self-pleasure, they can easily move on to the next experience.
A friend of mine, Dan DeMatte, speaks to the youth at different parishes across the country through his mission, Holiness Revolution. As I attended one of these talks along with my own children, I heard Dan speak to the kids about surrendering their hearts to another when they should be giving their whole hearts only to God at that age. He explained that girls and guys can go out in groups to different activities, but they should be prayerful and patient for a relationship that opens up their heart, their soul, to another.
What examples are we showing to our children, our nieces and nephews, and all of those young people who are watching how we, as adults, handle ourselves in this secular society? Are we acting as we would like them to act? Or is it just “lip service”, as we tell them one thing and then act differently ourselves? Or, do we even care enough to know that they notice? We will be held accountable for our actions, our words, and the examples we set for our children and youth.
This is expressed in several bible passages:
“I tell you, on the day of judgement men will render account for every careless word they utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”
-Matthew 12:36-37
“So each of us shall give account of himself to God.”
-Romans 14:12
Our children trust us implicitly, for we have nurtured them, watched over them, and protected them for their entire lives. As a guide leads his party through the deep woods to safety, so our children follow us, trusting in our lead. But only through Christ can we know which path leads to truth and which path leads to a troubled soul. Our example was given to us over 2,000 years ago, as Christ was as human as we are today. Because of this, we do not have to struggle to see in the darkness, nor do we have to search for the truth. “I am the way, the truth, and the life”, says the Lord. Do you trust Him enough to follow Him? Are you willing to give Him everything, even those you love most? So many adults, and youth, are searching for God in their lives. For many of them, this need for the truth is not easily discerned. They have replaced faith in God with faith in humanism.
My daughter attended CYSC, a Catholic summer camp for youth. On the last day of the camp, parents and family members of the campers were invited to attend the closing mass, which was celebrated in a beautiful outdoor setting in the woods. Before the mass began, there were over 20 young people standing in a line off to the right. One by one, they stood before their peers and the attending guests, and spoke of their experience over the past several days at the camp. We were amazed and deeply moved by their words. Some of them relayed that this was the first experience they have ever had where they actually felt the presence of Jesus. Some retold of how they laid in front of the Eucharist and wept uncontrollably as emotions flooded their hearts and as truth penetrated their souls. It was one of the most beautiful accounts of witness that I have ever experienced.
Are our children searching for the truth? Are they hungry for the living word of God? Do they want to feel the presence of Jesus in their lives? Absolutely! And it is our responsibility to them, and to our God, to provide them the opportunity to encounter Jesus Christ on a personal level.
We are only stewards in this life, given the humble responsibility of leading our family members; guiding their steps toward our ultimate goal of everlasting life with God. As the blind man courageously takes his first steps into a world of darkness, we must trust that our Lord’s guiding hand is leading our way. Only through our trust in Him will we find the truth; and only in finding that truth will we be courageous enough to lead our children forward. The choice is yours. In whom do you put your trust?
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord. He is like a tree planted beside the waters that stretches out its roots to the stream: it fears not the heat when it comes, its leaves stay green; in the year of drought it shows no distress, but still bears fruit.”
-Jer 17:7-8