Preparing Children for Eternity

It's that time of year again - back to school.  There are school supplies to buy, schedules to make, and lunches to pack.  Life gets a lot busier once school begins.  This year, Gabe starts kindergarten.  I suppose I should be all choked up that my second eldest is going to school, but to be honest, I'm not.  I remember getting sentimental when Isaac entered preschool.  Now I realize I'll be going through this for a while!  Lets face it, with 5+ kids you to experience these "firsts" over and over again.  And that got me thinking, "How does God do it?"  He has a ton of children!  While I'm preparing my children for school, sports, and life, God is preparing His for eternity. 

Then it hit me.  Shouldn't I be preparing my children for eternity too?  I suppose in some way I am.  We read our Bibles, pray, and talk about having a relationship with Christ.  We even discuss the rapture and Jesus' return.  But what does it mean to actually prepare our children for eternity?  Are they ready?  Am I doing my job as their mother?  Or have I focused too much on the here and now?  It is no secret that I really want to go to medical school and be the doctor I once thought I would be.  But how do I fit that into my life when it is so busy - and at what cost? 

Last night I watched Ann Romney talk about choosing to be a stay at home mother when all of her friends went on to successful careers.  She emphatically stated that she could have become anything she wanted to be - that she was an intelligent woman and choosing to stay at home with her 5 boys wasn't her only option.  I could relate.  As I'm attempting to follow in her footsteps it is very difficult.  I'm ambitious.  I like to learn.  And I appreciate intelligent conversations with other adults.  Being a stay-at-home mom can be very tedious, redundant, and unscientific.  My conversations tend to revolve around household chores, potty training, refereeing sibling disagreements, and obedience.  I'm physically and emotionally drained at the end of most days.  And though my children are, for the most part, wonderful, I still long for adult conversations (mostly about math and science) and a world beyond my kids.

Still I have to ask myself, given all the opportunities in the world, what is the most important job God has assigned to me?  It isn't becoming a doctor; it isn't continuing with teaching; it isn't even merely raising my children.  It is in fact, preparing my children for eternity.  Next, I have to figure out how.  I'm sure I'll approach it in a logical fashion based upon Biblical principles.  And even though I despise writing, it will give me something to write about.  If you're interested stay tuned.