The Duggar Family

This is a family blog and I write often about our farm, but today as I write it is with a heavy heart. I am sure that many of you know who the reality television family, The Duggars are. They are with the show, " 19 Kids and Counting". Many times this family is looked down upon for having so many children, even though it is no one's business as they take care of themselves. They are a Christian family that stands firm on the values that they feel are important in their lives, which is something that we all could do more of.

Yesterday, news broke that the oldest son, Joshua, was reportedly to have fondled some of his younger siblings and a family friend during his teen years. Whether this report is true or not, Joshua has issued a statement saying that he did some things during this teen years that he has asked forgiveness for and that he has disclosed these mistakes to his family and his wife, Anna. His parents, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have also made statements saying that they went through some dark times when he was around 14 years old and that they grew closer as a family and have a closer relationship with God after going through those dark times.

Many young men make mistakes as teens that we do not condemn them for as adults. Many young men and women are known to "play doctor" as they are experiencing adolescent issues and experiencing rapidly changing hormones. It does not make them a bad person, but they must learn right from wrong. I am not saying that any of these actions are right, but I also know that it happens in many families.

I am sure that many people are going to say that when the family became aware of this, they should have gone to the authorities and had this child removed from the home. People will say that they were not protecting their other children and that Joshua is a predator. People will say that they could not watch each child due to the number of  them. I do not agree with any of these sayings.
The actions that are being reported were under no circumstance right or moral, but they were actions that occur in many other households and no one ever hears of it. The parents say that he was sent to stay with a friend and was talked to about the situation. As parents, I am sure that prayer was a huge part of the process and God can heal things that others can't . Joshua was a teen boy that was maturing and having urges that every other teen boy has.  His actions were unspeakable, but not unforgivable. His actions hurt others, but was handled in an appropriate way. His actions are also not something that should define the rest of his life. If he had been older, then I would feel a little different.

He has admitted to his mistakes and has taken actions to correct them. He is currently a young married man with a family and this dirt does not have to break him. He has standards that he is raising his family by and as long as he has no longer acted in the same way there is no reason for all of this to come into any current light.

We must remember that we all make mistakes and that we all must live with something that we have done that we are not proud of . Completely ruining his life and that of his siblings and parents is not appropriate behavior either. How we deal with this news is something that each of us will have to process and decide within ourselves, but I will keep the family in my prayers as they are going to face many questions and much media backlash.