“Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6
There’s something wonderful about Sundays in our home from August through January. We are football fanatics. My husband and I both come from “football families”, and we have passed on the sickness . . . uh . . . er . . . I mean passion to our children.
Now, granted, the commitment was not as apparent when our children were small. Oh, sure, they might have sat down and watched a game or two with us, but at that point, it was a matter of “going along” with what Mom and Dad were doing. Of course, the party atmosphere and the pizza and nachos didn’t hurt.
That was then. Now? It has NOTHING to do with Mom and Dad anymore. Football is in their blood. Not only do we plan our Sundays (and Monday nights) around the games, but we all have our own Fantasy Football teams – which adds a whole new dimension to the season because time needs to be spent during the week taking care of your lineup.
Of course, there’s still diversity in our love of football. My husband is a Greenbay Packer Cheesehead. My team is the Chicago Bears. My Florida-born son is a Tampa Bay Bucs fan. My daughter? Well, interestingly enough, she’s now an Atlanta Falcons fan. She fell in love with and recently got engaged to a fellow football fanatic. Funny how that happened.
“Train up a child . . . “ I believe that children learn what they live - be it a passion for a sport or a commitment to a faith. They may begin by “going along” with their parents, but when an authentic, consistent relationship with God is what is modeled, “even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Though their relationship may not look exactly like ours, it will be their own, and it will be a core value in their life.
Tami Cinquemani
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