Last summer I took my girls out to our special camping spot for our 4th annual “Mommy and Me” Camp. Since I couldn’t afford to send my girls to church camp, I began this little tradition that we have all grown to love. Last year’s theme was “WEIRD”. I walked the girls through the ways that we appear to be weird to the world as Christians, but how that is okay.
We have since had a really “weird” year ourselves and we find ourselves selling our home in Washington, taking a pay cut, and moving to Montana. My dear church family understands and supports us, but to the world that would seem very weird.The last seven months have been crazy and this is why I haven’t written much on this blog, but with the move, I am leaving behind my jobs and obligations, so I should have a little more time to write here.
The turn events began as God was stretching and growing my husband. He has a gift for apologetics, the defense of our faith. He began reading and listening to everything he could find, then started writing a blog of deep thoughts that others have found helpful. He loves taking on the hard questions about Christianity and can do it in a calm and kind manner in debate. Last summer, just for the fun of it, he got a distance certificate in apologetics from Biola University. He did all this while being the Information Technology Manager of a local manufacturing company.
But now, it looks like this path has lead us to a job in Information Technology at Montana State University. The true calling however is to reach out to the students on the campus…a place in dire need of critical thinking about how belief in the Christian God is reasonable. Studies show that over 40% of Christian kids leave their faith when they go to college. Some lose it before they leave home and just play the game until they are away from their parents. We have to do something to help these kids…your kids and my kids as they go out into the world.
I have always been a more emotional Christian. I believe because I just know that God is there. He’s always been there for me and I’m sure He always will. I’ll admit I’ve asked why we need all this intellectual discussion about God. Isn’t faith believing in what you can’t see? But as my husband has jumped into all this apologetics, I find myself following after him. I’ve enjoyed the conversations we had about moral relativity and logical fallacies. In the end, the more I learn about these reasons to believe, the greater my faith grows and the more in awe of God I am. These mind exercises have increased my faith! It is almost to the point that I am bubbling over to tell the person next to me…Did you hear about DNA! It is incredibly amazing and a little difficult to explain with evolution…”
I know that makes me sound a little weird, but I think that is the point. Our theme verse for our camp was Romans 12:2. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” My husband and I have certainly been transformed by the renewing of our minds. It is has also affected our children. So much so that my new practical approach to preparing my children for public school is through some of the apologetic tactics and reasons to believe that I have been learning!
My new goal for this blog will be to help others do the same for their kids. We need to be prepared with answers for the tough questions about Christianity so our kids aren’t afraid to ask. We are especially challenged as we at registering our girls in an new and bigger school district. It will be interesting to see the similarities and differences between them, but know that I am praying hard for them on their journey through this major life change. I know that God is big enough to get them through this!
Shawna Wright