He Wanted Peace

 Please pray for my grandkids to open their hearts and minds to God.  I teach them their religion.  They live in a very secular world.  Sadly, their parents are no help.  They tolerate what I'm doing.  The family never prays, never goes to church.

Actually, the family I grew up was similar and I'm a God-fearing believer.  You want to know what the difference is?  The culture I grew up in, the 1950's, was safe and God believing.  I went to public school and every morning we began with the reading of a psalm.  One afternoon a week we were given religious education.  I watched TV with shows like Father Knows Best, My Three Sons, the Mickey Mouse Club, the Nelson Family, Danny Thomas, etc.  

Anyway, today I had planned a YOU TUBE video.  Last week we drove two Jewish ladies to a Purim dinner at their Chabad Center.  I thought today, I would tell them the story of Purim.  This involves the explanation that our Bible, Catholic, differs from the Protestant Bible because we have these stories.  And that the Jews celebrate these stories in their traditions, like Hannukah and Purim.  I told them that Purim is about the story of Esther, and we were going to watch a video of the story.

How long? They asked.  I responded that it wasn't long, about 15 minutes.

We all sat on the couch, and I started the video.  The twelve-year-old said she had to go to the bathroom.  I know she'd stay in there for a long time, so I said we would wait for her to come back.  She only wanted to get out of watching the video.  She came back grumbling that she shouldn't have to watch this because she already knew the story.  

I called her bluff.

Tell us the story.  

She began.  It's about Esther.  

What about Esther?  

He wanted peace.

Stop right there.  In the first place, Esther is a girl, and the story has nothing to do with peace.

So, we started the video.  She took out her phone and was watching something.

I took the phone away and she complained that she could watch both. 

Too bad.  No phone, besides this video is only 15 minutes.

Well, after 15 minutes, they both complained that it was longer than 15 minutes.

It turned out to be 22 minutes.

Once done, they both got up and ran away.

I was too demoralized to tell them to stay to discuss the video.  Upon retrospect, they wouldn't have discussed it like they should have, anyway.  They would have said it was stupid...yada yada.

I don't know what to do.  How do I get my grandchildren to have a personal relationship with Jesus?  I want them to fall in love with Him.