I was driving to college this morning and again was stuck by the large van in the driveway for someone doing go-karting and I thought again of Jensen Button, the British formula one racing champion.
I have known of Jensen Button for many years. When he and I both lived in Frome his trophies for go-karting were always on display in the windows of a car showrooms I use to push Ben past in his pram. So we are talking of 18 years ago.
I was wondering how often we see potential in our children and really give up our lives to go for it for them. I wonder if Jensen's Dad even had a premonition of what he was going to be even before he was born which is why he called him Jensen. I don't think his dad is a Christian, though I do wonder if a Christian dad would've been able to push his son to be a formula one racing champion.
But it did strike me of how often as parents we don't look at our children's gifts and talents enough and do not push them, giving up our own dreams to do this. In this world now we would be seen as pushy parents, even accused of putting our dreams on our kids. Well Jensen seems happy enough and seems to have the talent too!
I wonder at times with my two flying the nest what difference it would've made. Though actually as I write this I think that I did see in Ben something about him joining the army even as a small child, not in the going to kill someone but in what it seems he is deciding to do now which is a Driver Air Despatcher, taking supplies to the front lines which could lead to dropping aid and such like too, something I can very much see him doing.
So no I don't feel condemned and I don't want to condemn anyone else but seeing this truck and thinking of Jensen Button I do wonder how much I've prayed for my kids and their destiny and also how much we really do encourage people to do this, or do we just try to get people to bring their kids to church and hope that something rubs off!
And yes Mavis and Joanna I don't think I was saying not to have good Christian friends to praying with, share things with, etc but like you both say in the end it is us and God!
It is a really hard balance indeed between being an active part of a community and listening and seeking prayerful advice and being true to your own calling in God. Glad God is big enough to take the differences. I have the same sense of unease with the decisions of others from time to time and that is one of the reasons for struggling with the issues of listening to God with others and for yourself.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things we did was to buy an art board for our youngest so he could continue to draw cars properly, I think he was 9 at the time, he is now at Uni doing car design, not a huge thing but I believe it helped. Giving our kids a loving caring home is the best start to their lives and even if they go a bit off the rails at times they still know where love is. At the end of the day though, we give of our best and then it is up to them to make the best of what they have, like you say no good beating ourselves up over what we could have done or not done, we can learn from it and practice some more on our grandkids, when they come along :oD