We Are Their Covering

I was sitting at the kitchen table having a conversation with my mother after everyone left last nite about different things. One particular thing was my dad's side of the family. They live their lives very different than we do. I haven't seen most of them in several years and the ones I have seen I only see when there is a funeral. Its very dysfunctional the way they live their lives and they all need god. They claim to be going to church and try to talk the talk but they don't walk the walk. They all seem to have trouble letting go of the things of this world and have a distorted view of things. Many of them have been locked up numerous times and a few still are. They have all done drugs and alcohol of varying kinds and degrees. To them we are the black sheep of the family because we live our lives differently than they do. My parents even before they became saved made a decision to keep all of that stuff away from us. We never really saw my cousins and aunts and uncles growing up much. There are things about my family that I have learned this year that I never knew before and it stunned me. I was telling my mom how different mine and my sisters life might have turned out if they allowed us to be around all of that stuff. God knew what his plans were for my sis and I and he had us going a different path. Now both of us are involved in ministry of different kinds, she is a children's pastor at her church and I am in the dance ministry. Its sad that they all know the truth and know that they need Jesus, but they chose not to turn their lives over to him. They have let the things of this world get such a hold on them that they feel like they cant turn back now. My dads family needs all your prayers and I am believing that they will come to know him. I thank god that I was blessed with such loving parents and that even before they knew him they chose to do what was right for us. I think back to my life and having my children. I had to make such a choice to keep them away from their father and the things that he was doing. It wasn't an easy choice but I knew it was the right one. We are the covering for our children til they are old enough to make the choice for themselves as to whether they will follow him or not. I am thankful that my parents were my covering. That is a heavy responsibility that we all have as parents. I haven't always made the best choices in my life, but when it comes to my children I try to do what I know god would have me do. They are only given to us temporarily to help raise them to be men and women of god. Then he will take over and show them his will for their lives. I don't take the responsibility lightly and love my children with all my heart and want to see them grow up to be women of god. They are both involved in ministry themselves now and they love god with all their heart.