This little fawn watches her mama every minute for cues on how to act.
As I was taking a walk last week, I came across this mama dear and her fawn. I encounter them fairly regularly in just about the same spot. My neighborhood has lots of green space and trees. We also have creeks and branches and some power lines which provide somewhat of a  wildlife sanctuary. We have many deer and my kids and I enjoy watching the little deer with spots every summer.
From watching these two, I’ve learned that the little fawn watches her mama constantly. When I walk by, if the mama stops eating and freezes as I walk by, the fawn does too. If the mama hears a car and decides to run off into the woods, the fawn follows. In the picture above, they were both watching me.
I suppose human offspring behave the same way, which can be good or bad. Human children imitate what they see, not what they hear. Not in the history of the world, has the statement, “Do what I say, not what I do.” had very lasting results. Think about it. If the kids grew up with parents who smoke, they often become smokers. If they grew up with parents who drink, they often become drinkers. This list is fairly endless.
On a positive note, kids imitate the positives too. If we pray with our kids when they grow up, they will most likely continue to pray as adults. If we are kind to each other in our homes, they will most likely be kinder human beings. If we are open about our beliefs and the importance of church and serving and we actually attend regularly and serve, our children are more likely to do the same.
As parents raising kids, we are always being watched. If we accept that premise, we may be tempted to think that after we have done our eighteen years of raising our own kids, then we are at last free to do whatever we want with no consequences. I don’t think it’s supposed to work that way.
When we claim to be Christians, the world at large is always watching us. While we may be done with the specific people God has put in our charge, we are never done modeling the Gospel. And that’s the hard part, isn’t it? We can all read it and even proclaim it, but can we live it?
The beauty of growing older is the unique wisdom that comes with it, especially if we have spent a long time seeking God with our lives. The Bible says, “Wisdom belongs to the aged and understanding to the old.” Job 12:12
That means that older people have something unique to bring to the table. Let’s face it, as Christians, we walk around with a target on our backs. We are incredibly blessed in the United States that it’s not a literal target; let’s never forget that there are people at this moment who are dying for proclaiming Jesus.
Those of us who have been on the journey with Jesus for a while and especially those who have grown old on the walk, have a responsibility to try to be truly representative of what we claim to believe. We really need to be vigilant in reading our Bibles and trying to reach out to those who are seeking, because wherever we are on this Jesus Journey, whether we are ten or a hundred, as long as we are breathing, we are not finished and the world is watching.
How are you doing at living out the Gospel message? It’s never too late to start.
Have an awesome day!
Wendy 🙂