Proverbs 22:6 - Train Up a Child

Greetings everyone and welcome to the Church on the Reel Real Podcast. R E E L as in multi-platform broadcast. R E A L as in a genuine conversation or true dialog about faith-based issues. I am your host, Donna Means. Today, I will be discussing Proverbs 22:6 NIV which says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” In the earlier episode, I shared that I grew up in 1970 and church attendance was mandatory and not option. I want to expound upon that experience. From the age of 14 through 17, I was not able to attend church. I was a student by day and a caregiver by night. Seven days a week I cared for two elderly female cousins after school. There were three of them that lived together. The youngest of them died unexpectedly. The two cousins that remained in the house suffered from chronic ailments with limited mobility. All three were instrumental in my upbringing. Other adult family members either would not or could not care for them. If no one else would look after them, I would. My mother chauffeured me to and from their home five days a week. I would stay with them on the weekends. Due to my tendency to be an introvert, I did not feel like I was missing anything. I was an obese child and adolescent. This made me an easy target for bullying, pranks, and other cruelties. Therefore, I enjoyed their company and appreciated their wisdom. While I was not actively attending church services, I continued to keep a consistent prayer life and read my Bible. At times, I found being a student by day and caregiver by night overwhelming. I had to communicate with doctors about prognosis, diagnosis, and how to dispense treatments. I had to learn to use my voice to advocate for them and myself. Often doctors would use medical jargon and be dismissive of me because of my age. I was persistent and relentless to obtain correct instructions to ensure proper care. My mother expressed her concern, but I insisted that I was fine. I feared that if I was not there to look after them that they would be placed in nursing home facility. I called my pastor to explain why I had not been to church and my role of caretaker. I made a request for him or the deacons to visit and pray with my cousins and me. His response perplexed me. He denied my request because they were not active members. Is it not the purpose of the church to help those in need? In James 5:14-15, does it not tell us if one of you are sick seek the elders of the church? While my relatives were not members, I was. I needed prayer and guidance, but the answer was, no? One day, I received a "State of Delinquency" letter. The church had not received any tithes or offerings from me in six months. Aside from lunch money received, I had no source of income. My pastor was fully aware of my situation because I told him personally. Normally, my mother would give offerings on my behalf. I assumed if my mother did not give the offerings to the church, she did not have it to give. My mother managed and financed two households. She supported her mother's household and her own. She worked long hours and was stretched thin. Baffled by the letter, I called my pastor. This discussion was illuminating as it was disappointing. My pastor who I always thought to be caring and compassionate was showing me another side of his character. After explaining my concerns about the letter, he showed no empathy. From his perspective, I should be able to attend church services at least once a month. I explained there were other family members that either would not or could not help. Outside of attending school, caring for my family members was top priority. The fact that my mother lived directly across the street from the church did not help my case. My cousins, on the other hand, lived across town. The conversation ended with my pastor telling me I needed to do better. I was livid and heartbroken to not have the support of my pastor or my church. It was at