Rusks. Do you know what they are? No, not the things that elephants have, those are tusks. Although, while living in Africa, I often ate rusks while watching elephants. Rusks and 5 Roses (African Tea) was our staple breakfast while on Safari. A rusk is a rectangular, hard, dry biscuit or a twice-baked bread. Historically, rusks evolved during South Africa’s early pioneering days as a way to preserve bread in the dry climate. It was also extensively used during times of war or when traveling long distances. For me, 5 Roses tea was an everyday occurrence. You can imagine my delight when I returned to America to find “The South African Food Shop” just miles from my parent’s house. An internet based company, with a storefront in Matthews NC, has become my supplier of Ouma Rusks and 5 Roses.
This morning as I had a rusk with my tea, Makayla came and wanted to try one. I tried to persuade her that she would not like them to no avail. She knew how much I cherished them and in her mind, it was only going to be a matter of time before she was able to partake. I caved in, gave her a rusk, and she actually liked it. Truthfully, I don’t know if she enjoyed it as much as she enjoyed partaking in one of my "likes". Often our children desire what we desire because they see our passion about something. (They are also becoming quite the Tar Heel fans.)
This realization sent me into a time of reflection in regards to demonstrating my love for the Lord before my children. Is taking them to Church enough? Is getting them into a Church sports league going to do it? Is praying before meals and bedtime enough? While all these are good things, they still are not enough.
What my kids desperately need to see is my passion and love for the Lord demonstrated at home. They need to “catch” daddy spending time with the Lord in the mornings. They need to “catch” mommy and daddy calling their names out in prayer. They need to “catch” daddy on his knees praying for God to save them at an early age, for them to have a passionate heart for the Lord, and that they will make wise choices when it comes time to marry. The plain truth is, they can't catch me, if I'm not doing it.
David
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