Pastors

"Barbara, you didn't have your eyes closed when we were praying. And you're the pastor's daughter!" boomed the Sunday school teacher in front of the entire primary department.

How did she know, our oldest child wondered, unless her eyes were open too?

We recently asked Barbara and her two sisters-all of them now married-what they most liked and disliked about growing up in a pastor's family. They talked about the enjoyment of meeting Christian leaders who came to our home. They cited the greater opportunities to travel, the fun of being the "speaker's family" at various conferences and camps. They appreciated their insider's perspective-seeing Mom and Dad in ministry yet also being real people who got discouraged, angry, and needed forgiveness like anyone else.

But our daughters weren't wild about being expected to bail out teachers or youth leaders stumped by theological questions. More than once they found an adult turning their way to ask, "What do you think? Why did God send Abraham to ...

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