Art Linkletter once had a show on TV called "Kids say the darnest things!" Kids from the audience would come up to the stage and engage Art in conversation where he would ask them questions and they would, in their innocence, say what came to mind. Many a parent was embarrassed by some of the answers. Of course the TV camera would pan to the parent at just the wrong time to capture the now forever memory. Kids don't just answer questions but also ask questions of their own. Been there and done that. An interchange with Benjamen, my second son, took place one day on the sofa as we were having time together. He had been deep in thought for some time and suddenly said, "Dad?" I replied yes and told him to go on. He said, "Dad, do you know what I want to do when I grow up?" He was about 4 or 5 at the time. Kids have all kinds of occupations they conjure up like police man, fireman, and construction worker to name a few. I wasn't quite prepared for what I heard when I asked him what. He said, "Dad, I want to do everything!" I answered: "Son, you do and do everything. Don't let anyone or anything stop you." Proud of my son we went back to watching TV together. Benjamen is well on his way to doing everything.
After ending my career as a police officer due to a shooting I was involved in, my life was changed forever. We moved to another state (not confusion) and I decided to go to counseling to begin to deal with the PTSD. I took my kids with me to counseling where my counselor made chit chat before asking this question: "Kids, what's your dad like when he's angry?" I didn't know what was coming from him or them. My daughter Sara was the first to speak. She assumed a position of fear, sat back in her chair and with wide eyes said: "You never want to see my dad angry!" Jeremy, my son echoed her statement. Dick continued to talk with them about their perceptions more for my therapy but also for their inclusion in my healing and theirs. I'd never thought I was that angry in front of them. But, they saw, heard and learned. I made amends to my children and we discussed my anger at length. Jesus said, "suffer the little children to come to me." In other words people, our children may have much to say to us. Don't shut them out or shut them down. Learn from them and be a better person who interacts with all in a more loving manner.
Children (younger) are more openly honest and real than anyone else on earth. Their young innocence is a blank slate for the world to write upon. Some people write good things in the children and others write bad things. We need to take the stand Jesus takes with us if we expect \anything but the influence of the world. It is incumbent upon us to listen to Jesus' words: Unless you become as a little child you cannot come. Simple belief, simple love, simple obedience are what Jesus wants from us so that just as we see our lives being lived through our children, that we can let Jesus live through us. We need to acknowledge that the phrase, "junk in, junk out" is not what we want for our children anymore than what Jesus wants for us. To be free in Christ means we look at everything through the eyes of Jesus. Yes, you can be in the world but not controlled by the world. Ask a child! We are faced with choices all day every day. Do we laugh at that dirty joke? Do we make things more important than God? Are we fixated on our own selfishness when we are driving on the road? Do we really care about who we serve. Christian! Remember, it's always your choice!
No comments:
Post a Comment