It was nine years ago, Jashton was 2, and we were visiting friends in Michigan. It was Sunday morning and while the parents were getting ready for church, the TV was on to entertain the kids. But then it came out, "we only let our kids watch Christian videos on Sunday morning." It's not that Jesse and Heidi are the legalistic type, or they have a false dichotomy of "secular bad", "Christian good" - they simply set an expectation that Sundays were different for their family. The simple act of changing the viewing of their children (pre-schoolers at the time), helped form an understanding within their children - and ours.
We adopted these guidelines in our family, and it has been an unexpected blessing. When they were toddlers we had piles of Veggie Tales videos which often were chosen over Bob the Builder anyway. But from the earliest ages, out kids understood that Sunday was different - and the "different" extended beyond going to church together. Also, as our kids have gotten older and the videos have changed, it ensures that on Sunday morning the focus is not on watching planets being destroyed or parents being ignored. This morning as I heard our kids getting up and heading downstairs, I was so glad we have this established norm in our household - all because of a comment while visiting the Jensens all those years ago.
It is great to learn and grow from the example of others - and we never know when one simple decision may impact someone else for life. As we will be reminded at our church this morning, "walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you will be called."
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