quick story-

many years ago, when I was much younger, I worked at a church that spent (what seemed to me) quite a bit of the church service on the announcement time. the many in charge of the announcements was a bit verbose, and when he shared announcement, he didn't leave out a single detail. the announcement time turned into a weekly 20 minute radio program that I felt was too long.

one time we were in staff meeting and the topic of the announcement time got brought up. I said that I thought it was too long. he pushed back. and in my immaturity, I sternly stated in front of the church staff a statement that went something to the effect of,
"THESE PEOPLE DIDN'T COME TO CHURCH TO HEAR YOU TALK, BRO.
THEY CAME TO MEET WITH GOD."

needless to say, things were never really great between me and the announcement guy. and that certainly wasn't the last time that I said something that I regretted in a staff meeting.

flash forward to present day.

new church, new role. now I'm a kids pastor, and I need to repaint a room for preschoolers. I have been getting to know these preschoolers- and I can see that they are passionate about dinosaurs, superheroes, lightning mcqueen and legos. so I thought, "let's paint these things on the preschool room wall! the kids will be thrilled. parents will be thrilled."

so I contacted a mural painter and made some plans.

last night I was driving in my car and I say to my daughter jane,
"hey- I'm going to paint the preschool room walls.
I think I'm going to put dinosaurs on the walls.
and lightning mcqueen.
and mickey mouse."

and my kid starts out chill, but then she gets more and more passionate. she says,
"what?! we don't need that on the walls! these kids need bible characters on the walls! and bible verses!"

I gave her a little more of my reasoning and then she turns and sterly says to me,
 "THESE KIDS DIDN'T COME TO CHURCH TO LOOK AT MICKEY MOUSE, DAD.
THEY CAME TO GROW IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD."

it was practically eerie.
and slightly funny.
but I could hear my own voice coming through my teenage girl.
on one level, I wanted to prove my point, but on another level, I couldn't argue with that.

I lost the argument, but I didn't care. I was so proud of my kid.

God is love.
-rev-rob