Another evening and my darling daughter won't go to bed. She fell asleep at the babysitter's, but now that we brought her home, she's wide awake. We fret over such small things when our children are small. My wife and I went on a date. We had our grown-up conversation, then turned our attention to what we hope for our daughter. We, like most parents, want our daughter tested and tried to produce healthy growth and a realistic outlook, but not subjected to some of the agonizing experiences we had. I pray for her each day that she would come to know Jesus in a a very personal way. I don't want her to be sheltered from the harsh realities of this world to the extent that she can't feel compassion for those less fortunate, but I also don't want her to learn everything the hard way.

The Bible instructs us to be in this world, but not of it. How wonderful a goal, and how difficult to realize. Some retreat to a cult or to an isolated community, but God tells us to be a lamp on a hill. I think we have to tread carefully and prayerfully through each day, looking for opportunities to be encouragers and servants. It's easy to judge; so much harder to really love.