Of Pups and Wolves

mood: reflective

If you had a young pup, would you throw him in a pen full of bigger, meaner dogs... only to come back mangled, beaten, and bruised... just to teach him what it means to be a dog in the real world?

Or would you rather personally love, nurture, and train up your pup until he was big enough and smart enough to face the mean, cruel beasts of the wild on his own and yet not fall prey to them?

As I stand gazing out our second floor apartment window with my most precious possession in my arms (Caleb), I think about this kind of logic when considering putting my son into the public school system. I know all kids are not bad influences, and I know most teachers are probably doing their best, but way too many of the kids today are quite frankly absolutely horrible influences. They're rebellious, mean, vile and absolutely without any morals whatsoever. They have no knowledge of God; muchless a good, healthy fear of Him. Which is quite understandable when most adults do not fear God either. A generation so without the proper raising and guidance that even children as young as 5-6 years old are coming home talking about sex and using words I didn't even know existed until I was atleast in high school.

As a Christian parent absolutely determined and bent on raising my son to know, fear, and love the Lord God with all his heart, I just absolutely refuse to throw my son to the wolves. The sacred Scriptures are clear, God has placed the burden of responsibility for the raising of children on the parents... Not on the school system, the government, Grandma or Grandpa... Not on the village as some politicians like to spout... and Not even on the church or the children and youth pastors. The responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of the individual parents under God. With that being the case, how in the world could I ever relinquish this incredible responsibility to strangers in the midst of morally decadent society?? Even rats know when to abandon a sinking ship!