The Hinton Boys in Yosemite National Park. Summer 05, I think.

Although I often talk about Deb and the kids on Face Book, I don’t usually write much about my family here on the blog.  Maybe I should.  But something interesting went on over the past few days which I suppose warrants a change in practice.  John, my oldest son, was asked by his High School English teacher to write a short paragraph along with the rest of the class describing what they use as their moral compass to live by.  Fair enough.  But then she finished her assignment by stating that they couldn’t answer the assignment by talking about “God or something like that.”  When I was taking John to his Cross Country meet later in the day he told me that for the first time he was “disobeying” one of this teachers. I asked for an explanation and then got the whole story.  John did write something in accordance with his convictions and I’ve included that below from Deb’s blog where she also wrote about it.  I love the way Deb described our oldest son in all his glory.  (Actually, he gives all that to God)  But read on and ask yourself, “when was the last time I made a stand for Christ?”  Yup, that’s my boy.

I just edited a small paragraph my oldest son had to do for his English class.  I can’t help but wonder that maybe all of those prayers and tears may have been worth it over the years.  This was the same boy who has broken so many things in and around our house that I just don’t even respond anymore.  I think the last one that I sort of got mad about was him running up and down the top of my car and cracking my windshield.  Of course it is also easier now that he can pay for his own accidents.  But this little essay blew me away.  I could see his “voice” in the essay.  I could see him in it. I could see him standing by this.  I could even see him willing to die for this.  What more could a parent ask for?  Here is what he wrote:

“My motivation, my drive, the reason I wake up in the morning for a new day and sleep at night at the end of an old one is simple and precise. My love I have for my savior Christ and the love he has for me. God has loved me before  he created the world ,before I was conceived , before I was born ,before I took my first steps in life , before I sinned and turned my back on him. In my sin and the sin of the world God made a plan to save us all. I wake up to know that God will provide me with my needs; physical and mental. He is my friend, ally, leader, and master. I know he will use me to do great things in and for his name. What is life without a savior, God, or friend?  What purpose would I wake up to? Why would I do my work set before me? Every day would be a schedule. sleep , school ,work, friends, fun ,family ,all in a never ending cycle until our bodies refuse to work and we crumble and die. Then where would we go? Even if I achieved places of honor or   power or became president, cured cancer and aids, established world peace, destroyed world hunger, or rid the world of racism and prejudice, I would still die and those who I helped would eventually die as well. What would happen then?  The apostle Peter states bluntly the ‘greatness’ of mans achievements.  “All men are like grass and their glory is like flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever”. That is the reason I live with Jesus Christ.  Without God life is nothing. There is no life.  There is no freedom.  There is no peace, no prosperity, no joy, and certainly no love. I write this to state my reasons not to convert.”