Sheltered

"Kids that go to Christian school are just so ... sheltered."

It's said in disgust. As if "sheltered" is a dirty word.

I don't know how many times I've heard this statement. And as a Christian school kid, I could come up with a few stories to counter the logic.

But so what? Let's just imagine it's really true--that kids who go to Christian school, kids who are homeschooled, or kids whose parents believe in discipline--are, in fact, sheltered. What's so bad about that?

In defense of innocence

To be sheltered is to be protected, safe. And that actually sounds pretty nice.

Call me sheltered if you want to, but there are some things I'm glad I don't know--even at 27. I don't know what it's like to be drunk. I don't know exactly what marijuana smells like. And I don't know what it's like to have a mullet. :)

If you think about it, God actually intended for humans to be innocent--to not know some of the stuff we know today. Sin entered the world because Adam and Eve ate from the tree of "knowledge of good and evil." Before they did, all they knew was good--all they knew was God and His creation.

Did God want to shelter them? Yes.
Did He do it because He was controlling? No--He did it because He cared.

I'll be honest, sometimes I do feel a bit sheltered. But I don't feel bad about it. I feel blessed, lucky to have the childhood, education and family I know.

Being sheltered is different than being naiive. I don't feel stupid or jilted out of some critical life experience. I can relate to people who are different from me--people who have completely different values and life experiences. I've heard from those who have very different beliefs. I listen to them, I respect them, I love them.

But I know what I believe and why I believe it. And I think that's one of the gifts of being sheltered.

I only wish that more Christians would stop believing the lies that to relate to the world, we have to first experience all it has to offer (and throw our kids into it as well). Things like innocence, modesty, and discipline are worthy of our defense, not our dismissal.