A Rocky Road NIGEL WINDER
| Children & Families Consultant, SUNZ
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Child g n i p l e H
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ave you ever been on a long road trip, where everyone in the car just wants to get to the destination? Bottoms are numb, tempers are flaring. There are tears because someone elbowed someone ‘accidentally’ or just looked at their sibling at the wrong moment. And the mere mention of car sickness sets off a chain reaction. In those situations, we resort to all sorts of tactics to jolly our passengers along: bribery, impromptu karaoke, ‘I spy’, naming the car brands, sleeping lion competitions, banning toilet stops and, occasionally, just praying for mercy.
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It can be a rocky road. It is hard to convince the backseat drivers who are encouraging you to drive faster—at the speed of light if possible—that the journey is as important as the destination. It is the journey that makes us. At times, in children’s ministry and with our own children, it may be tempting to wish away the journey through childhood and hope for them to arrive immediately at their destination as problem-free, mature and faith-filled adults. However, that doesn’t happen and we have to settle in for the long ride through the here-andnow, enjoying the faith journey with them and encouraging growth along the way.
