Recently I asked the teenager if he ever thought about leaving behind Our Faith, and what I consider to be the most central part of our Family. 

Because I’d been thinking…

I am in touch with many lifelong friends who were raised in Christian houses, and now as adults have left the Faith. (Ps. This isn’t a post about why I am still a strong faithful Catholic Christian- I’ll save that for another day) Some of these friends have renounced any Faith. And some of these friends, still go to church once, maybe twice a year, but Sunday is a day they now sleep in. 

And now their faith is investing in their families, their lifestyles, their education, their careers, their kids sports…etc. These all are good things, but many of them seem to be searching. They aren’t contented after vacation, or a big promotion…

And it makes me think of my kids. 

My beautiful kids. 

It’s really got me thinking. 

So I asked my teenager outright. All the questions that had been plaguing me as I prayed at night outside of each of their bedrooms.

…Does he think of leaving his Faith eventually when he’s older? Does He think it will be a priority to his life?  Do we force it on him? Do we listen when they have questions? Do we let them question? 

And let’s be honest- if there’s one thing I’ve realized about having a teenager is they are either gonna talk or they won’t…it’s either one word answers or they just let it all go, and answer you and may even tell you a bunch of unrelated random facts…usually about Taco Bell . There’s no in between. And I never know which one I’m gonna get because they’ve gotta lot of thoughts and stuff going on. But I’m not a patient person when something is on my heart, and we were in the car alone so I just blurted is all out. 

And my Jonah looked at me, and said one of the most beautiful things he could say, “*Mom, you and Dad have never forced your faith on us, you just introduced us to it. God does the rest. And no, I will never walk away because it’s a part of who I am.” 

And then I started crying. Because I’m a crier. And because I was relieved…

Not because I tiptoe around my kids with my faith and give them wishy washy feel good theology. Because we don’t. Living your Faith isn’t a Cake-walk. Trusting God when life is devastating and hard is not easy. 

We go to Church every Sunday, even on vacation. We pray together and we expect them to treat one another with kindness. We expect them to forgive one another. My kids aren’t lucky, they are blessed and I want them to know that. 

I expect them to help the person with less, to stick up for people, to honor others. And to love. 

And this past year…has been hard. Between friends, and mean people, and the world we have all been hurt. So love is hard. And forgiveness is even harder.

And I desperately want them to choose their Faith in every single circumstance. Because it will save them. Every single time. 

He will save them. 

Time and time again He has saved me. 

I can invest time in my kids, and my marriage. I can invest time in my career and my writing…but without God I will be searching in the temporary. 

I want more for my kids than that. 

I want them to have forever.

Our Faith in God is the center of our family. And on the good, and hard days I choose to live it out the only way I know how…by introducing them to God every single day. Inviting Him into our lives. 


And Jonah was right…

God does the rest. 

to God be the Glory. 

*i may have missed some of Jonah’s exact quote from earlier, though the introducing part was exact. I also could add I wanted to write that he also said I was the most beautiful Mom in the world but lying is a sin. Even though it is my blog and creative license is my jam- but whatever, I left it out…this time.