These quotes are from chapter 11 of The Light and the Glory
. In this chapter the authors are documenting the decline of the faith of those in America just one generation after the first inhabitants.For faith was not something that could be passed on from generation to generation, or imparted by baptism or the partaking of Holy Communion. In order for faith to come to flower, it must be planted in the soil of gratitude.
That’s enough to chew on, but read on,
But being born into town situations instead of having to carve them out of the wilderness, the succeeding generations would not know desperate need. They would grow up never knowing what it meant to be persecuted for one’s faith; to be mocked and scorned or even imprisoned merely because they loved God enough to attempt to put Him and His will before all else. The sons of the fathers would never know what it was like to have no land and no work and no say in how they were governed.
…Therefore they would not be inclined to put all their trust in God.
The rest of the chapter is too long to type out here but the wise words go on. You’ll have to get the book and continue reading on your own! Makes me wonder about America and it’s future. The kids and I discussed how on fire those that first came to America were and then as we read this chapter and the next the decline and then the Great Awakening. We saw the roller coaster of faith–which reminded me of Judges. Were are we now on that roller coaster? Is God going to put us through a time of persecution so we will return to Him?
I just know that we have realized in our home that we are so independent that we are not showing our gratitude to God in front of our kids. Yes, we are grateful (my husband and me, that is) for so much. We are just not doing a good job of having our kids pray with us for those things we are trusting God for. They might see or hear us thank Him in the end, but they weren’t in the whole process and we are doing them an injustice. This has been shown evident from my nine year old and his lack of gratitude in his prayers.
Praying God will show me how to be more transparent to my kids and not try to hide life’s struggles from them and let God walk us through it all!