Prayerful Parenting©
Thanksgiving 2003

Message One: Thankful for Life
Welcome to Prayerful Parenting.© As a professor teaching at a small college, one of the greatest joys comes when students experience an “aha” moment in learning, that crystal clear cognitive surprise that comes when a great truth is revealed. This is Dr. Linda Karges-Bone, and my students recently participated in a regional conference on the rights of disabled individuals as part of their awareness of differences in the classroom. One of the students struck up a conversation with a bearded gentleman wearing what she thought was a really “cool” t-shirt for a rock group called “Not Dead Yet”. My student was horrified to learn that the group was in fact an advocacy organization that fights for the lives of the disabled and sick, such as Terry Shiavo, a Florida woman whose feeding tube was removed this week, leaving her to starve. My students were appalled to learn that academics like Dr. Peter Singer believe that some lives have more value than others and that groups like “Not Dead Yet” exist and have a great deal of work to do. This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for the words of my savior in John 6:33: “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world."

Message Two: Thankful for Family
Welcome to Prayerful Parenting.© A few weekends ago, my daughter ran in a Cross Country race, not unusual for this high school athlete. We were all there cheering when she came across the line, her dad, me, and her older sister. This is Dr. Linda Karges-Bone and as Thanksgiving approaches, I am grateful for the gift of family, for the bonds that are for better, for worse, and forever. Back to the race day story. When my younger daughter’s time for the run did not meet her expectations, she was quite upset, the mark of a competitive athlete. She didn’t want comfort from mom or dad, but a little later, I saw her skinny 5’3” frame folded onto the lap of her 5’1” older sister, who was rocking her like a baby. No words were needed. They were there for each other and oblivious to everyone around them. 1Timothy 5:8 says:”If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Sometimes, what a family provides is a lap to sit on and unspoken support.

Message Three: Thankful for Freedom
Welcome to Prayerful Parenting.© At the college where I teach, we begin each class with a devotion and prayer, a sweet time of fellowship in the stressful world of academia. This is Dr. Linda Karges-Bone, and earlier in the semester, we prayed for the fiancé of one of my students who is serving in a dangerous part of the Middle East. She was understandably worried and even more upset because he was not allowed to wear the small gold cross that she had given him when he shipped out. As we enter the season of harvest and Thanksgiving, I wonder if we appreciate the gift of freedom? So much of the Bible deals with themes of breaking free, from bonds of slavery and of sin and yet in a country founded on the pursuit of religious liberty, we toy with the idea of removing God from every sign and symbol. Is God an embarrassment to us now? Have we become too proud or just too foolish to acknowledge him? As a young solider puts his life on the line to protect freedom, I know that a gold cross does not protect him, but that the blood of Christ is his hedge. I am thankful to live in a country where I can say write that and say that. 1 Cor. 8:9 says: “Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.” Freedom, as my students are learning, comes with great responsibility.

Message Four: Thankful for Children
Welcome to Prayerful Parenting.© This is Dr. Linda Karges-Bone and in the Thanksgiving season, prayerful parents can take time to reflect on the gift of children. What am I grateful for? The opportunity to nurture a new life and watch it grow. The chance to share parenthood with my husband and see how it stretches and changes us in ways that we never anticipated. The joy of watching a unique personality emerge from each of my daughters. The feelings of completion as I cooked meals, prepared holiday celebrations, and took thousands of pictures of events that create scrapbooks of my children’s lives. The fellowship of family as my nieces and nephews grew up together. Just last night, my daughter Carolyn and her cousin Katie met for dinner at a point in-between their two colleges, because they miss each other so much. My nieces and nephews are my children too, because we are a family, and they are dear to me and to each other. Psalm 128 says: “Your children will be like olive shoots around your table”. What a blessing.