R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

I doubt if anyone who grew up in the seventies ever had any trouble spelling the word "respect."  I can hear Aretha Franklin belting out those letters as I type.  Our young people are on a RESPECT retreat in the Carolina Mountains this  weekend.  The Allens and the Coopers hope to instill in our children the concept of respect in all areas of life.

When we moved to Columbia, South Carolina in 1992 we began to see some of the "good" remnants of "Southern living."  One family in particular was very diligent in the training of their children with regard to respectful greetings. Whenever their children were in the company of adults, they spoke to them with some sort of formal greeting.  If you were a relative you would be called Uncle or Aunt so-and-so.  Not being related, Carla and I were "Mr. Paul and Miss Carla." With our children being 8, 7 and 3, it was a challenge to teach them this new set of manners.  We wanted to fit in and most certainly did not want to offend anyone.

Sometimes when one reaches the age of majority and begins to make his/her own way in the world, there is a tendency to become disrespectful under the guise of independence.  We begin by casting aside some of the rules of behavior that our parents taught us and create our own set of values.  Sometimes in the new process of defining ourselves we feel we must break free of our parent's faith. Regardless of what our parents believe, let us always have respect for God's Word and worship that we might be acceptable in His sight.

Paul