The Possum Reflects on Spirituality and Religion

When I was younger, I tried to "play possum" to skip Sunday Morning Service. There was no question, it was a given that we would be up early, dressed in our Sunday Best and worshiping God as a Family. Have I failed as a parent for not always requiring the same disciplined religious experience of my family? Can it be enough to be Christian and nurture their individual spirituality as well as their collective worship of God? We can only answer for and be accountable for ourselves. I have not failed my children. Yes, it is enough for us.

Spirituality
My children are raised as Christians as I was from birth. My "3D's" are taught to love and serve God, pray, believe and have faith, treat others as you would like to be treated and to be grateful for any and all blessings. These are basic life principles of spirituality that can be implemented in your everyday routine, regardless of your religion. We stand by our religious belief system and respect the practicality of the views of others as their free will.

Sacred
Understanding and appreciating the value of the purpose, practice and principles of Christianity is a major part of our fundamental teaching. While my children are encouraged to question and explore the complexities of life, it's a basic entitlement, yet in religion there are sacred acceptances. We share our faith as a family, when my children come of age to explore the universe, the religious foundation has already been established within their hearts. I have faith.

Sacrifice
The Bible is God's word given to us as a means of knowing and growing closer to God. The love that God had for the world was the reason He sacrificed His Son, for the promise of an eternal life for those that believe in Him. I love my children unconditionally, yet could never imagine sacrificing them, on most days. We do take time to recognize that as a family, we all make sacrifices. Our motives shift from being competitive in nature to a more caring and creative nature. Some sacrifices are more substantial than others, yet they all serve a greater purpose, for the good of our, family, our friends, our community, our planet.

Service
Out of our sacrifice, comes the desire to be of service to others. The thought process motivating service is that which I want for myself, I also want for others. Whether we are offering service to God, one or many, we seek to share our talents and resources to create a more equal opportunity for life's goodness. We transition from a hedonistic experience to an altruistic existence. That "attitude of gratitude" idea just might get some people a lot further in our world.

Solitude
Many times in our lives, we become overwhelmed as we balance responsibilities and indulgences. The conflict arises when we are doing too many things inefficiently and not doing enough things in an efficient way. I can truly attest to this confession of chaos. I am not at my personal best when in the midst of mania. I see it evident in the discord within our family. I am an advocate for "quiet time". We all need our personal space to pray, reflect, replenish or disconnect. We recreate and restore our mental clarity and sense of self. Everyone needs to re energize their spirit through soul searching and it is only fair to respect our own needs as well as the needs of others. It can make coexisting that much happier. Quiet your body, quiet your mind, quiet your heart and be in the moment.

I know that for my family, our spirituality comes from our religious upbringing. This may not be true for others. 

Reflect on your thoughts on religion and spirituality.