Home's Cool with One

Can you see the gate?

Am I getting through? 

Oh, how many nights have I sat up and wondered if all that I do each day to teach my kids the basics of living a godly life… I wonder… is it getting through?

My prayer is that with God’s help, I can guide them through the narrow gate.

I got an answer to prayer this weekend.

While Christmas shopping last weekend we tried out a gaming system and the coolest game called Rock Band while at Best Buy. It came with a guitar a set of drums and a microphone. Since my DD and I are in the midst of music lessons (more on that later) we thought this would be a lot of fun to play together – hubby got all fired up about the singing part – he got to belt out the lyrics at the store during the demo – we had a crowd gathered around us… it was really fun! So the decision was made. A family Christmas gift.

Christmas night we hooked it up and my son and fiancé joined us for a rock and roll night.  You have to master a song – with guitar, drums and voice in order to unlock more songs… there is no other way to win a new song.

We were awesome!! It was so much fun. We were singing Rolling Stones, Bon Jovi… some of the old classics… then we finally earned a new song. I do not remember the name, but I do remember one of the words – and my heart fell into my lap as I found myself telling my daughter – don’t sing that word!!!  It started with a WH and ended with an ORE…

I was dumbfounded. Speechless. I pulled my hubby into the other room and we had a ‘discussion’… he, being the leader of the home made the decision to let this one go. I agreed. We felt it was a good lesson for our kids to see what others think is ok. We finished the song and decided not to play it again.

The rest of the night, the songs were ok. Not ones we would have playing in the car, but nothing too out of line.

A few days later in the afternoon, my DD and I decided to play the game. We were doing really good, then a song we chose had a graphic that was – simply put – pure evil. The shirt, if you call it that, the girl character wore had a neckline that went to her navel – and the backdrop was skull/bones – then the song began… I do not remember what it was, but I felt the evil permeating the room. I looked at my daughter and said we needed to turn it off.

She agreed.

We went upstairs and prayed. She opened her eyes and with all the bravery I have seen her display, suggested we return the game. That it is evil and she would be embarrassed to play it with her friends.

Wow!

I was going to talk to her das that night and hope to break it to her gently, but here she was – an 11 yr old – deciding on the narrow gate. She made a decision far beyond her years… a moral decision.

I called her dad and was not surprised when he told us he had been praying about it all day wondering how he was going to tell us his own decision to take it back.

We boxed it up, and returned it the next day.

God’s favor was on us for sure. The GM of Best Buy, who we had become acquainted with during our shopping at the store, was surprised to see us returning it, and gave the Ok, even though the software had been used – usually you cannot return these types of products once you open them – I had no clue.  What a great guy. He was impressed by our convictions and even more so by DD and her willingness to make the change without argument.

We left the store with a new video camera and some safe karaoke songs… redeemed.

So… am I getting through?   I am feeling pretty confident that I am...

"Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.     Matthew 7:13-14

Untitled Comment

8:31 PM, Jan. 1, 2008 .. Posted by moreofhim

How totally awesome!!! Isn't it awful that something so fun is changed by the evil that seems to creep in every where? You have every right to be proud of your DD - that is so great!! I'm also totally amazed that you didn't have problems at Best Buy. I very rarely shop there because if you have a problem, you are out of luck. God was truly in that situation with you, too!! Have a wonderful and blessed New Year!

God bless you - Julie