I am not going to pretend this is some new, novel thought in today’s world, but what is happening is really shaping the future actions of our nation’s kids. What they see in response from their parents to the situations presented really makes all the difference in the world on how they are going to react and stand for independent freedoms in the years to come.
This past week started off close to home as my family attended the Nebraska Christian High School annual fundraiser in Central City, Nebraska. This Christian school may have started off small but it has grown. The total enrollment is now around 240 K-12 students and many of the upperclassmen were involved as servers, auction entertainment and auction item retrieval. The most impressive thing was the constant reminder that Christ is at the core of the curriculum.
Despite the pressures all public institutions have faced in the past few years, schools like Nebraska Christian maintain their independence in choosing how to run their school. The presence of Christianity is obvious, but the importance of faith and family were clearly evident.
Once again the actions of parents speak volumes to their kids despite the words that may accompany the actions. In our family, our youngest, who turns 17 this week, sets the best example for all of us. She is committed to reading her Bible and studying the word of God on a daily basis, a habit she and her mother started together years ago. She is the one who follows a strict regimen to achieve anything that she puts her mind to, whether it is speech, a workout to achieve better track times or a specific diet to enhance her performance and wellbeing. It is quite obvious that others in the family, her dad included, pick up on her behaviors and it influences and motivates the rest of us.
Before I wrote this column, I attended the Box Butte County GOP Convention in Alliance, Nebraska. Candidates for a number of offices were present and offered their views on why they needed to be elected to their chosen office. Elizabeth Tegtmeier of North Platte shared why she is running for Nebraska State Board of Education. Her closing statement sent my mind spinning at warp speed.
Tegtmeier said, “A politician thinks about the next election; the statesman thinks about the next generation.” Wow. Truly that summarizes every challenge that we have in today’s world. Too many folks that we have entrusted with our kids’ future are not necessarily looking out for the future of the nation but instead simply trying to keep their position of power.
The message that I hope to continue sending is that we need folks in elected positions that represent the views of the people who elected them, not the short-term thinking of “What does it take to stay here?” Our kids have been logging in information on how to deal with controversy in the past couple of years by watching our actions. This pandemic could have been the greatest teachable moment of all time for parents. I hope you did not squander the opportunity to plant a seed of confidence and independence while displaying your commitment to faith and family. Little eyes are watching—are we showing them the best possible view?
Editor’s note: The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not represent the views of High Plains Journal. Trent Loos is a sixth generation United States farmer, host of the daily radio show, Loos Tales, and founder of Faces of Agriculture, a non-profit organization putting the human element back into the production of food. Get more information at www.LoosTales.com, or email Trent at [email protected].