Noticing the Little Things

As we continue to expand on the story of my WHY, I want to ask you some questions. 

Have you ever felt alone as a Christian? 

Have you ever been at school, at work, at the grocery store, or in your family and felt like you were the only one that discerned right from wrong? 

I remember starting my career in Louisville, Kentucky in the 1990s. Back then, I assumed everyone was Christian. It never crossed my mind that my values would differ from someone else’s. But early in 2010, I started to see it more clearly. 

The Christmas Party had been called a Holiday Party for quite some time, and I didn’t bother to speak up. That might have been the first realization that something was happening, but I missed it. It became uncomfortable to pray at restaurants in public as I thought people were staring at me. Then I noticed the hesitance as I signed cards for co-workers as I questioned if I could write “I am praying for you” or “You’re in my thoughts and prayers.” I also noticed the absolute absence of people saying “God Bless You” when someone sneezed. It was as if a memo went out that these things were not allowed and I did not get the memo. 

A conversation that I had with a lady in my church piqued my interest in school curriculum. She homeschooled her children and she was very protective about what they were exposed to. She wanted to know what the church curriculum would be for her children in youth group and based on the answer she decided they should not attend. I took notice of this and thought, why would she have an issue with church curriculum?... after that I also started to become more curious and quickly found issues with what was being taught to my children as well.

I also noticed the difference in their public education. My older children (now 24–31) went to, “the best public schools in Kentucky” and I thought they had a decent education. It wasn't until we moved to a new state and I put our youngest son (now 13) in public school. Things had changed. The conversation in the halls had changed. The curriculum had changed. The way the teachers interacted with children had changed. We moved him to a private school for Kindergarten and he stayed there for four years. When we moved to Colorado, I once again, began the quest to find a school that would integrate scripture into the classroom. 

Just because a school says they are Christian does not necessarily mean they teach Christian curriculum. If you know me, you know I have taught at several schools as an adjunct professor and sadly, not all Christian schools allow prayer or scripture in the classroom. This shocked me at first, but then I realized that things had changed, and not for the better. 

Are you curious? What have you noticed that is veering away from Christianity and becoming more secular? I’d love to hear your stories.