Hey there finally I’m back after a while. I pray that God will shower His blessing upon you and yours. Lately I’ve been very busy but I will take time to write you about the topic “Little imitators”. This past weekend I went to a seminar for leaders but not any kind of leadership, the audience target was Youth Leaders. This had me thinking where I came from and where my kids are today. Strategically I will tell you were I came from and how I grew up, where I stand today and what I can see back in my kids or not.
Education starts at home and not in school. A good foundation is laid at home and not in the house of others. People often listens to what you have to say but will follow in what you do. Telling someone what to do without modelling it to them will have no effect. The bible says “Faith without works is dead.” So if I have Faith that it will go well with my offspring but do not put any work in it automatically it will produce nothing.
As a child my mother brought me to church with her. During praise and worship the kids used to stay in the church and after this part of the service the pastor will tell us to go gather with the Sunday school teachers so we can go and have some actual word of God on our own levels. (I’ve saved these Sunday school lessons until the day of today). I loved going to the Sunday school it brought me wisdom. As a kid I was called to minister through radio programs with the wisdom and knowledge I had received.
As you probably figured out we grow and mature in teens followed by youth, young adults and into adults. (Time flies) After my Sunday school period I graduated and got baptised and was now allowed to sit out the whole service in the seats of the church. I think 2 Sundays followed I sat in the back with the rest of the teens and the youth and realised I was not going to sit in the back just to talk during service. I packed my stuff and moved to the front row. Well there I met the Holy spirit and was deeply touched during the song “Come now is the time”. I found myself on my knees crying hands lifted up high I was only 14. I loved the feeling. I was ask to teach and do activities with the babies of the church. During praise and worship we would minister through dance. This all during my first years at my First church.
I met my husband during a radio program, we became friends, best friend and you know the relationship kept evolving into man and wife. I started visiting his church, very soon I was fully integrated there. In this period I was asked to teach the kids and teens. My husband was the youth pastor so alongside him I would pastor the youth as well. I remember all the rules we had to live by cause he was the preachers kid so all eyes on them and me including. They would say stuff like you need to be an example cause what they see you do they will do as well. Since this time I had to think everything through, believe me this was not an easy task we had setbacks. There were times of falling but we stood up again and kept on moving. This church knew two services on Sunday. In the Morning Sunday school 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. for the whole church. Separately every age on there own level and afterwards everybody will come together and share in what they had learn. We had to memorise a key verse and explain it to one and other. The second service was from 18:00 – 21:00 everybody was in church including the kids. Well here everybody grew together.
Now we are grown ups we have kids it is our duty and responsibility to set them off right. Samuel and Jesus both grew up in favor before men and God, they grew up in the temple serving before God. Hannah made a promise and brought Samuel to Eli and Jesus asked His parents why they were looking for Him, if they didn’t know that He’s busy with the things of the Father.
I was talking to my husband and came to the realisation I don’t want to be the next Eli, ministering to people and my own household is in rebellion or acting against the Word of God. We seek new things but we can’t even get the things we do now right. You see Eli mastered Samuel, till a certain point in Samuel’s life he had a great role. But in the end you see and read Eli had two sons they were priests but acted against the will of God and God repaid them including Eli for these actions. My first ministry is and got to be my own household. (Next topic this week “My Household”). The history of Samuel you can read in 1 Samuel chapter 2 and 3
My kids know what we thought them but do what they see us do. My oldest loves music as her father does, my husband teaches her. My youngest loves everything she see the oldest do and want to do so herself. My husband is a worship leader and is behind the keys so we all got the get classes from him in piano. Me myself, I am in dance ministry so I mainly dance with the kids and the kids mirror what they see me do. Often the kids walk in on me, seeing me studying the bible, praying, crying while deep in the presence of God they know that they can’t ask for anything while in one of those moments. We talk allot about bible history and the teachings behind it. That is the home basis. Sundays they are supposed to learn knew things and come tell us what they had learn.
They strange thing is very often they can’t remember what they have learned in Sunday school and this bothers me. As I said before the basis is laid at home and at the church it is supposed to help and to catapult the kids in the directions of interest. What do you do then? I hear and see kids that don’t want to come to church or they mainly sit, they don’t know what to do. Aren’t we responsible for them and their life’s? I will continue this post in the next topic “My household”. Now a days kids are being smothered without even getting the chance to know the Lord. We often tell them to keep quiet, don’t do this, don’t do that. They can’t sit in church because they are a distraction or what will it say if you are permitted and others not to guide and teach. While the bible Jesus said to his disciple Let the children come don’t hinder them for theirs is the Kingdom. (Matthew 19:14) Every parent individually is responsible for there own kids how they want to set them off and how they want them to grow up and be.
This is my part.
God bless you.
With loving regards,
Shaina Li Margaritha-Domitilia
Shaina Domitilia 