Good questions

At church, we're reading Treasures of the Transformed Life (new and used from $1.68!). One of our questions in a group this week caught my attention:

"Are you willing to accept other people as God created them?"

Actually I think I'm really good at this. But here's the follow up question:

"Are you willing to allow God to decide when and what to change about them, and is there a line that is crossed where you feel the need to step in?"

I don't generally feel the need to change people. I feel a responsibility toward my students, but mostly this question to me concerns parenting.

As a parent, there is of course responsibility for shaping your children's behavior, but I think it's important to recognize the difference between shaping behavior and trying to change the child. I love my kids the way they are. But yes, there are things we need to work on, I know.

Then again, this question reminded me that Charlie's birthday was 6 months ago, and it is so hard to leave him alone, especially after a moving and thought-provoking presentation like Rachel's Challenge was today. Knowing he's in college doesn't give me a lot of peace. It bothers me to think that something could happen to him, to me, to my parents before he decides or gets around to contacting me. I would really hate that.

But of course I'm not his parent and I haven't had any opportunity to shape the thoughts or feelings that have prevented him and are preventing him from reaching out.