08/13/2019
Our children need to be “greenhoused”
People often say to me, "you can't keep your children in a bubble". And I reply, "it's not a bubble, it's a greenhouse."
A bubble stifles growth and blocks out nutrients. A greenhouse provides an environment for cultivation.
Children’s hearts need to be “greenhoused” before they’re ready to be transplanted out into the world. We release when their roots are deep and they are mature enough to withstand the storms, not beforehand.
While they're still under our protection, we take the responsibility for engaging them in learning about different cultures, ideologies and values. They should only know worldly teachings enough that they will be inoculated against them.
It's neither parenting out of fear or legalism, nor going to the opposite extreme of being too permissive.
No, our kids shouldn't grow up in a bubble. But they shouldn't be left exposed to the harsh outside elements, either.
The greenhouse of our home has all the right conditions for those young seeds to grow and flourish.
