Owning God

When my son left the church, he thought that he couldn’t believe in God anymore.  In his mind God was so tied up with the LDS church that he felt like the church “owned” God.  If he was leaving the church, he was leaving God.  BUT the church does NOT own God.  

In our family journey, we have discovered that the church does not own a lot of things.  The church doesn’t own family night, happiness, the sabbath, service, values or love.

We are so tied up in doing what the church asks that I think sometimes we lose sight as to what really is important -- to love and accept our children period.  We have five kids and only two participate in the church.  They are all really good people and it’s not because the church made them that way.  God made them that way.  

One of the problems in the church is that we are constantly taught how things should look or that our lives will look a certain way if we are righteous.  But that's not always true.  Checking the box so you look a certain way on the outside, does not mean you are converted, have a testimony, want to follow Christ, and love everyone.   There are plenty of great people out there who are not part of our religion who follow Christ and his example; who reach out, serve, love, and accept.  

There is not one path back to God.  I believe that we all have our own path back to God and it is narrow because nobody else can walk beside us.  I have my path, my kids have their own path.  

It all comes down to finding ways to bring the family together beyond church; what values we hold to and what we have in common. 

I believe in a loving, merciful GOD...and I hope one day ALL of my children will too.