A few weeks ago while I was helping Jadon dress for one of the last practices of his first travel hockey season (Peewee A), he asked one of his teammates David (whose father was also helping him dress), "Are you Christian?"
I was generally surprised by the question, as I felt it rather direct and even potentially touchy. None of this (to my shame?) had ever come up before, & in the rush of my thinking & feeling, in part because I assumed David's family were nonbelievers since they themselves had never brought up the subject all season, I sought to soften the situation, & asked with a smile, "Why do you ask, Jadon?"
David's dad already had begun answering, & said rather sheepishly, "Yeeeaahhh, we are, but we aren't practicing. We don't really go to church or anything. Hockey keeps us really busy." Of note, David didn't say a word but steadily continued to dress for practice.
I continued the conversation with a concession, "It IS pretty hard with hockey and other activities."
Jadon's own concession hit me even harder, "Yeah, we aren't really practicing either."
Sometime afterward on different days, I asked his Evangelina & Jadon what they thought was most important to Daddy & Mommy among church, hockey, piano, & family time. I asked them to rank these things one through four, based on what they think is important to us especially when there are conflicting events on our family schedule. Their answers were sad, especially when they seemed to understand what God's priorities are. (See scanned document.)
O Lord, forgive me as an errant father. Help me to live such that our children know You are number one in our lives, that You are to be joyfully worshiped above all others, & that You are worthy of the worship of all.
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