Being a Pastor's Kid

You might think that being the spawn of a godly person is a blessing or a curse. It's actually a position where tagging along to work is recommended, sometimes required, and not going with the 'rents to work is frowned upon. That is my position. I am, as some would say, a PK. Not a Penalty Kick, or a Peanut King, but a Pastor's Kid.
My sisters and I have been PKs since 2002, when our parents graduated from EMS and got a time and a half position at AMC in Aurora, Ohio. It has been fun because everyone in the church wants to know you, wants to know your name and how you are and if you truyl are excited about going to school in the fall. But it can get annoying. Everyone knows your name and your parents, so when you are out and about and you don't remember names and they recognize you, well, you can imagine. It has been easier in the past. My parents recently moved to a new church and a new, larger congregation, at WCMC. The people here are great friendly people. It has been rather easy for them, as you can imagine, to learn the five in our family's names. Then they throw in their two hundred names. So it's not always potlucks and fourpart harmony, so you know.
There are pros and cons to being a Pastor's Kid. First of all, it's like having no pastor at all. Because your pastor is your parent, you can't talk to them about your issues. At least not as easily. I am a bold girl, and have expanded upon these rules, and I told my parents about my relationsip with my boyfriend. I told them as my parents, not as my pastors. I cannot talk to my parents as pastors. That is impossible for me. They are "Mom" and "Daddy". Nobody else. Because I can never let them switch roles from work to home (switching from "Pastor Jess" to "Dad"), their puting in hours at church, "working" is much more like a lifestyle. That's another reason why it's weird for me to imagine that they are at work. It has been my lifestyle for the last seven years of my life. I'm so used to it now I couldn't understand another type--and now I'm heading off to college to figure out what the future holds for me and entering a new lifestyle of my own.
There are great things about being a pastor's kid-- all of the questions I have about my sprituality can be answered by walking down the hall, or stepping out of the room. A larger majority of my parent's friends are also pastors so, in essence, I do have a lot of pastors that I can work with and talk about my issues with, but I worry about the connection to my parents and often don't talk to them like they are my pastors as well. I talk to them like they are my friends, mentors, or as my parent's friends.
As a lifestyle of being a pastor's child, I am spiritually more awake. I know what I should be doing to expand in my relationship with Christ. Thus, I attempt to read my Bible everyday. It is hard to get into that routine for me sometimes. Sometimes, praying is like talking to my dad. Sometimes it's like talking to the wall which I am staring at as I pray. God remains close to me as I go and learn and discuss what I need to.
There is much different perspective that many people may take for granted, but in our house, any gift that we have is great. It's talent, or hereditary, but more importantly, it is by far a wonderful gift from God. We recognize this as we get older and I attempt to exalt God with my musical gifts, and my wanting to serve other people.
My parents are very forgiving, as pastors, because being a Christian means that you take on the image of Jesus. This does not mean that I do whatever I want. I try to put on Jesus' clothes as well. But I have my own temptations and lack of self-control. God and my parents meet me where I am and let me know that they still love me no matter what decisions I make. Thus, I am somewhat of a prodigal duaghter.
I love where I am, and I love my parents. I do not mind being a pastor's duaghter, though sometimes it has it's flaws. But in the end, whatever my parents decided to be, there would be the same laughter and the same tears and the same quirks and farts and jokes. So I let it be, and enjoy the life I've been given.