Laying a Firm Foundation

by Karin Paparelli

About ten years ago, my husband and I were house hunting. We had very little money to spend and being fresh out of college, no credit. We saw all kinds of homes, most of them small and needing much improvement. And then something really incredible came our way. It was a fifty year old home, in a good neighborhood with three bedrooms, a diningroom, livingroom, eat-in-kitchen, big yard, the works! How could this possibly be within reach? There was a catch, the homeowner had been taken to an adult home and the house had been vacant for three years. Well, not completely vacant, a dog had been living alone in the house. There were newspapers on the floor in the kitchen and the boy across the street came over to refill the food bowl periodically. Are you getting the picture? Wait it gets worse. Since there was a seemingly unlimited supply of food, the house became infested with mice. Not your typical field mouse, no these were the size of overfed hamsters! To make matters even worse there were dirty dishes in the sink (for three years!), food in the refrigerator, linens in the closets etc, etc. On our first walk through we held our breath. But being the dreamers that we are, we saw beyond the mess. We saw the beautiful wood moldings, the glass doorknob, the potential to expand in the walk in attic. Those things were appealing however the most important discovery was found in the basement. The previous owner had also been the builder, and he didn't skimp on anything. What we found in the basement was a sixteen inch, solid steel I beam running the length of the house! In laymen's terms, the house was built like Fort Knox! I don't think an earthquake could move it! We bought the house and are still here. (It took a professional exterminator to remove the mice, lots of elbow grease to remove the dirt and almost a year to remove the foul odor! )

The selling point for us was the solid foundation. As any good builder will tell you the foundation is what counts, everything else can be replaced. So what does this have to do with the kingdom of God?

My children attend Christian school. It is a sacrifice to send them with only one income. We have made some hard choices over the years. As the financial strain has increased we have gone without to keep them in Christian school. Why? Because we believe in laying a firm foundation in Jesus Christ for our children. Yes, we can and do teach them about the Lord in our home. We are very much involved in ministry in our church and on Long Island and our children are usually right in the middle of all that we do, yet I do not believe that is enough given our current spiritual climate. Not if everything we teach them is questioned and refuted in first grade. I need the reinforcement of the church, the school and peers to lay that all important foundation. (If you don't think teachers have much influence, tell your child to do something contrary to the teacher's instruction. The reaction is incredible! ) The teachers can easily reach a god-like status in the minds of our children. With that kind of authority and position I want to be sure they are representing Christian ethics and morality.

I know the argument that our children need to be in the real world. I've heard people ask "how will they survive later on if they are always sheltered?". My response is that I do not expect a six year old to be in a position to counter Satan or the world views of their peers and teachers. There are adults who can barely stand up against that kind of pressure. Speak to any teenager they will tell you how hard it is to go against the grain of their peers, it is unimaginable to expect that from your first grader.

I believe we have been given a small window of opportunity to lay a strong foundation of Jesus Christ in our children. Soon enough they will be immersed in the world. When they are I want to be sure I have given them every spiritual advantage I could. I know some argue on the side of academics, but I ask you what good does it profit a man(woman) if he inherits the world, but loses his own soul? Worldly wisdom will only take you so far, but the wisdom that comes from God is eternal! I am fully aware that Christian school in no way guarantees our children's future as Christians. The time will come when they will need to make choices on their own, and they may stumble and fall before they find their own way to the throne of grace. It is a choice we all must make. However, as with any good home, if the foundation is good the house will stand, everything else is just cosmetic. It is similar in life. If we lay a solid foundation in Christ for our children, when all else fails that will remain. There may be seasons of rebellion, as Satan contends for their souls, but in the end I have faith that God will lead them back. And the Lord will draw upon the foundation established in their childhood. The heart given to Him at five He will not forsake, but He will continue to pursue until He brings him home.

" Train up your child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it"( Proverbs 22:6 ). This is a proverb; a word of wisdom. It is not a promise but it is sound advice just the same. The Lord has not left us here on our own to muddle through, but He has given us His word and His spirit to teach us. Let us heed the wisdom of the Lord and do all we can while we can, for time is short and the war is raging!

May you walk in His grace. Thy kingdom come!

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