And then I stand there awkwardly for a couple seconds until The Males wrap up their little movie so that I can burst their bubble. I never understood this reaction to being a P.K....as it is called in Christian circles... until about a year ago when my husband and I watched Footloose. Ahhhhh, I see. They think I am this girl...
Ariel Moore. The crazy, angsty, kinda slutty, daughter of Reverand Moore. Although I often stand like that because its super comfortable and gets me the kids' meals at Chick-fil-a faster than most moms, I am nothing like Ariel.
I'm sure you are just as disappointed as The Males. But it begs the question of why P.K.'s have this reputation, doesn't it? Is it the pressure to always be good? I had that. Is it the weird crazy issue of having your father's "work" consume your life, as well? Wow. Cry me a river, Ariel.
No. Its nothing to do with that. Its the fact that kids aren't stupid. Faith needs to be Life. End of story. Most kids see their parents kind of act like Christians at home and then act a little more Christian-y at church. Meh, that's not horrible. At its worst, families step out of church and lead a completely different life than the perception they give in the pew. Or, if its done right, they see their parents practice what they preach in both arenas. Kids, deep inside, know that Faith is Life. But, if they don't see life reflect faith, then faith is dead to them. Its just a ritual. It has no bearing on life.
BUT, for a Pastor's family, the contrast is blazingly obvious if church/life do not connect. Its simple: Live what you preach. You see your Dad get up on that platform. You see hundreds of people absorb his wisdom, his years of studying, and his passion for his faith and then...you go home. What's that Dad doing? Is he ignoring his family to keep studying? Is he as excited to tell his family what God is teaching him while around the dinner table as he is at the pulpit? Does he mess up but then comes to you, a broken man, and apologize for his temper, he absence, his failings, whatever they may be? It makes all the difference.
Some people think being a Preacher's Kid is an unfair life. Its not fair that my Dad chose this for a living and now its somehow a family business. I remember President W. Bush whining that his girls hate being a President's kid because they want to live their normal life...which for them, meant throwing off all that pesky traveling the world business and going to college and smoking pot, I guess. Poor babies.
A Preacher's Kid is much like being a President's Kid, in a microcosmic type of way.
You better believe it, I was held to a higher standard. I was expected to know everyone, smile, hug the elderly members, be nice in youth group, be a leader among my peers, etc. But, you wanna know what else I got? A church family that absolutely adored me. Lots of hugs. Big bridal and baby showers. Meals when you are sick. I got to watch peoples' lives change. Families heal. Marriages come back to life. I also had information. You can't help it. I knew the inner-workings, where the church was struggling, how it was being rectified. Its a very interesting business.
Being a P.K. wasn't an act for us. It was a Dad and a Mom who were excited about their faith, shared that passion with us, and invited us to join them in their work of encouraging others. The benefits far out way the "I just want to be like everyone else" issues. But it starts with Living What You Preach.
Ariel is a myth. That harsh, clueless Preacher is a myth too. My family had a heart and a soul. I wouldn't trade my P.K. status for the world.
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