The Fate of Jon and Kate

Several months ago, while recuperating from getting all my wisdom teeth removed, I became interested in a fairly popular television show called Jon & Kate Plus 8. Maybe you've heard of it. It features Jon and Kate Gosselin, the parents, Cara and Mady, the older twins, and their six brothers and sisters, Collin, Aaden, Joel, Alexis, Hannah and Leah. Why I became interested and later emotionally involved with this show was beyond me. Why would a seventeen year old male want to watch this show? I now think it was because of the love that this family shared with one another and the parents' commitment to their family, even though their situation was anything but normal.
Also, Jon and Kate were Christians and often spoke to churches and were interviewed in Christian magazines.They also went to church and took their eight children to local Vacation Bible School. I thought, "What a together family. What nice people." I don't believe I was technically a fan, but rather an intrigued observer. They seemed to me like people I could have for neighbors, and whenever I would tune into the show, it was like I was invited into their home and I would sit and watch the goings on in their home for thirty minutes and then go on my way.
Recently, both Jon and Kate have been the targets of paparazzi attention and have been the subjects of slanderous articles in everything from supermarket tabloids to widely published magazines like Us and People. Jon was accused of cheating on his wife with third grade teacher Deanna Hummel and Kate was accused of cheating on Jon with her bodyguard and has also been accused of changing from a devoted and loving mother of eight into an attention craving monster only concerned with money and celebrity status. I happen to believe that neither one of them actually cheated on their spouses, but the damage, it seems, has already been done. On the recent season premiere, Jon and Kate were interviewed separately about how their marriage is doing. They both seemed fairly upset about the state of affairs their marriage is currently in. They seemed to still be married and living in the same home but perhaps separated, as Jon stays home with the kids while Kate is away doing interviews and book signings, and when she comes home, he goes elsewhere.
During this whole debacle, I became very disillusioned and somewhat sad. I wasn't walking around moping every day, (That would be a little fanatic) but if I saw a negative magazine cover or heard a news story about it, I would become a little more down than I was before. The cause of my sadness came from the fact that these people (at least not initially) weren't a product to be marketed, they were a family, and that they had been turned into something that is not at all pleasant to watch. It was initially just a show, almost a documentary, about a real life family with real life troubles and problems, but they got through it all because of their belief in God and their commitment to their family as a whole. It saddens me that they may have let their lives become their careers.
Recently, Kate's brother Kevin and his wife Jodi appeared on a morning news show talking about Jon and Kate and their children. They believe that it's time for the cameras to go off and for the couple to seek marriage counselling. This unfortunately is not what the couple has decided to do. Kate is still pursuing her recent status as a writer while travelling around the country, while Jon often stays home with the kids and occasionally does charity work. Despite the fact that they are trying to seem normal through this, the American viewing audience can tell that something is off. This isn't the same warm, inviting family that once appeared on our television screens, and I am not calling for Jon and Kate to work things out for our sake, that is, those who watch the show, but they need to work things out for themselves, for their family and for the glory of the kingdom of God.
In the season premiere that came out about a week ago Jon stated that even if he and Kate separate, he still believes that their children will be fine as long as he and Kate remain friends and show the kids that the relationship they had was important. He and Kate also stated that the children were the most important thing to them. Unfortunately Mr. and Mrs. Gosselin, this is not the case. Maybe this is harsh, but what those children really need is for their mother and father to stay together and to work things out. That is how you will truly show them you love them.
Mr. and Mrs. Gosselin, although you will probably never read this blog by a non-famous midwestern teenager, I want to say that I am praying for you and your family. I am not merely praying for what I think is best for your family, I am praying for what God thinks is best for your family. You have people out here rooting for you, not just putting you down. God bless you and your family.

Noah

P.S. For anyone out there who doesn't already know, the Gosselins divorced last week. Please pray for this family in these troubling times. The P.S. was added on June 29.