Well, it’s that time of year again. Time for parents to add to their credit card debt. Time for purchasing school supplies, backpacks, new clothes and shoes and the latest technology which will ensure your child’s success. All of this can put a strain on the average family. We all want to look our best and create the perfect impression. Going back to school has taken on a whole new meaning today. You almost have to take out a loan to supply your children with what they need. There I go again – sounding like an old fogey – but then again, I am. School costs have gone ballistic with the advent of technology. You have to admit it. All we needed was a three-ring binder and some loose-leaf paper – some pencils, a box of crayons and a lunch box. Of course, there were the new shoes and duds. It seems today that kids are spending an awful lot of money on ripped jeans. I should’ve saved all my old ones. I would’ve cleaned up with a garage sale.

Today there is no need to walk ten miles, uphill in a snowstorm both ways. Children are carted from place to place in the luxury of an airconditioned vehicle. Walking to school isn’t done much anymore, because of safety. Then there’s the issue of violence when they get to school.

Let’s take a look at children today.  This isn’t the norm, but statistics are showing that many of them are suffering from depression before they reach middle school.  Bullying is at an all-time high.  Children are committing suicide at an alarming rate.  Self-mutilation/cutting is not unusual.  Some are counting on drugs or alcohol to soothe the inner pain. They’re unhappy with their lives because something is missing from them.  They don’t have that fail-safe message that, even though we’re sinners, God loves us and has solved the problem.

Kids need to know they have a champion – one who will be with them throughout their lives, even when others fail them.  They’re longing for the safety and protection of a super-hero.  They want to know that they have merit, that they’re loved, that a wonderful future is already laid out for them, both here and in eternity.  We all need to know that.

Our children are on loan to us for a short time. They are a gift from God and belong to Him really. It is our obligation to make sure they know about their heavenly Father and the plan He has laid out for their lives. There is no amount of money that can buy that kind of insurance. When we place our kids in His protection, we’re putting them in the best hands possible.