One Less

Water Parks................... I. Love. Them. I! Love! Them! On the way to church camp (which we attended last week) we pass a water park. I went to said park many times as a kid. On the camp trip, we also pass a resort that used to have a year-round, indoor ice skating rink (it wasn't very good) which has been renovated into a year-round, indoor water park (sweet!)
Unfortunately, my children will probably never know the relaxation (and skin blistering sun exposure) of The Lazy River; the adreneline rush from zooming and spinning down the tallest water slide (though they'll be spared the inevitable wedgie at the end --- you know, from plunging into the water so hard......... maybe only girls' swimsuits cause that.....anyway...); the confidence of finally surviving the deep end of the Wave Pool. When we drive past, it makes me sad that we will never take our children to a place like that, because it really is a good time.
But I am confident that, as we raise up this family of ours, God has turned our hearts toward a higher standard. When you go to a water park, there's a whole lot of nakedness. This is according to the biblical standard of bearing the thigh = naked (Exodus 28:42, Isaiah 47:1-3) . And if thighs are to be kept private, I'm pretty sure midriffs, cleavage, cracks, and backs should be covered, too. This standard is fairly opposite of the general standard in our society, but God calls Christians to purity of thought and conversation (lifestyle). We cannot honestly teach our children to cover themselves daily, but then pick one day to run naked at the water park. We cannot honestly shield their eyes from sexy ads, but then take them out for a day of skin watching.
There will be plenty of opportunities in our children's lives for each of them to walk the tightrope of temptation; to see things they shouldn't -- accidentally or on the sly; to choose between covered and uncovered...
We choose to provide one less stumbling block in their journey.