.....And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit

I think that in general as the children of the temple, there are struggles that for the most part we and those around us never address. I've found that most of what we experience, feel, or fight we've learned to "handle". We've been trained to multitask and compartmentalize our lives so why not do the same with our emotions. The truth is we don't exactly have the support system that exists for everyone else.

Surprised? You think that we have access to 24 hour counseling, right? Not so.

Churchgoers by far have more access and a better opportunity to counseling than any preacher's kid ever could. Our parents would probably never admit it, but it's true. And to seek counseling apart from our parents seems like betrayal and sort of like a breech of code. It's just not something you do. But sometimes it feels much easier talking to someone completely removed from your situation. (Wait, isn't that what our parents tell parishioners; go figure) Think about Pastor's marriages all but end before they even think about seeking counseling. By that time there's so much hurt and anger over so many situations that they're probably irreparable, they stick it out to be an example to the church. So the example we are setting is what exactly?

Despite how open their doors are, they're our parents and the objectivity they give one of their members is difficult to extend when the advice is dispensed to the fruit of their own loins. The leniency they would suggest you offer your teen son on the issue of curfews; they would probably second guess in their own house. After all what would it look like if the Pastor's son was out at all hours of the night. The advice of "Sometimes kids have to be allowed to spread their wings", given to a couple whose daughter wants to go a performance arts college becomes 'You'll love the campus at Christian College that we've picked out since you were born'.
I laughed when I read that. You see that's part of the problem. Whether by our parents or society, our paths are predetermined and sometimes the will is not enough to fight against what has been determined an inevitability. As a matter of fact, failure to follow your predestined path in itself seems like a unsaid no, no.

You will be active in church ministry.

I like when people ask me, "What do at your church?" and I look at them puzzled. Granted I'm extremely active in ministry but I like to see peoples reaction when I say I'm inactive. People would either look at me strange or the next question would be, "How come?" accompanied with the look of How dare you not? I'd like to say to that "Look, I've lived it. Enough is enough" You ever wonder why and how child stars, who have known nothing other than the spotlight all their lives could walk away from the whole thing and say they want to go to college or just start a family, or just want to be normal for a while. People question whether or not they'll survive out of the public eye. It's because their entire lives have been on parade, they've had to follow one road and for a brief moment they need to just be.