Dear TRA Parents,
“These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)
Well, if that isn’t a high bar for parents, I don’t know what is! Do you ever feel overwhelmed by the task of parenting—and more specifically—raising your children in the Lord?
If so, you’re not alone.
Deuteronomy literally means “repeated law” or “repetition of the law.” This was Moses’ final words to Israel: the flock he shepherded over a long and hard journey. I think it is helpful to view this book as his last words of wisdom or his parting advice.
When viewed in this context, his words to parents (quoted above) are both inspiring and overwhelming. In essence, Moses tells parents that their primary duty with regard to their children is to impress God’s law on their hearts. And to do this, we must talk about his law continually and in every circumstance.
I don’t know about you, but I would currently give myself an F in my faithfulness to this command. This tall order regularly brings me to my knees.
Yet it also causes me to regularly cry out in thankfulness that I am not doing it alone. The River Academy’s mission is to partner with parents in educating their children to become the next generation of Christian leaders. When we use the word partnership, we mean it. We truly see ourselves as your partners. It’s what gets all of us out of bed each morning - the desire to be good partners with all of you as you are going about the all important task of raising your children in the Lord. Yet it also causes me to regularly cry out in thankfulness that I am not doing it alone.
How do we do that on our end?
First: With lots of prayer.
Next: By living out our faith hour by hour in front of your children.
Third: By using every opportunity we can to remind them of their (and our) need for a savior.
Fourth: By immersing them in God’s word.
And finally: With lots of prayer (yes my repetition here was intentional).
What does that look like on your end?
We are so grateful you have chosen to partner with us. We know this partnership on your end takes work. Whether helping your children with their math homework, regularly checking in on Canvas to keep your middle school student organized, quizzing them on Latin or phonograms, keeping a joy-filled and positive attitude when your child is struggling with an assignment, or simply just being actively engaged with their education; it takes work. Sometimes lots of work. And all of this is on top of the already challenging task of loving and leading well in your home. Well done! Please know we are praying with you. Raising children is something all of us can only do with God’s grace!
Thank you for encouraging and faithfully guiding your children through their academics as well as their walk with the Lord, and by doing so, partnering with us. We love your kids and love the opportunity and privilege we have to partner with you in raising them to be critical thinkers who are solidly grounded in God’s word.
God Bless,
Eric
