Dr
Bell was at his wits as his son poured out his heart to him that evening;
“You were never there
for me; you only cared about your business and pursuits. You never visited me
in the boarding house or at high school. You always called me a fool at every
little mistake I made growing up. In fact my name became ‘fool’ at a time. This
made me wonder whether you are the one who actually gave birth to me. You
always quarreled with Mom and I never experienced perfect peace in this house
growing up and now you want to marry an extra wife”
he said.
Dr
Bell was really out of speech because to him he had done all he could to bring
up his son the right way. He sent him to school, paid his school fees to the
university level. He then said out of disappointment and disbelief:
“Hmm! I’m really surprised at this, I
thought I was doing my best as a father, I never knew I was being deceived by
people around praising me that I was doing great where as my own children
needed more than these. Well I’m learning and I plead that you accept me the
way I am”
OPERATION GET -THE HEARTS OF YOUR
CHILDREN
“Train up a child in
the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Prov.
22:6)
“Children, Obey your
parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; which is
the first commandment with promise; That it may be well with thee, and thou
mayest live long on the earth.
And, ye fathers,
provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:1-4)
“…thy rod and thy staff
they comfort me”(Psalm 23:4c)
Even
if I might not support the way Dr Bell’s son poured out his grievances to his
father, I believe he had to because ‘his cup was full’. He couldn’t bear the
trend anymore, and besides he was of age now and was working. I believe he was
provoked and that led to his statement. His father had never heard this
probably because his son would have been spanked by him if he ever tried to
relay the pains when he was younger.
This
short story is something that happens in our generation today. Children must
obey their parents because it is right in the Lord and even before man (though
some are rebellious and must repent for hell is enlarging herself to receive rebellious
children). But many are forgetting the “provoke
not your children to wrath” part. You can provoke your children to wrath.
Don’t think those bad attitudes you’ve been portraying before your children
will fade away from their memories with time. It doesn’t happen that way. When
you’re angry and you call your children bad names, it causes scars in their
hearts, it reduces their self-esteem. They feel inferior amongst their peers
and thereby become vulnerable to evil things that come their way, except for
the special intervention of the Lord. Well, I’m not a parent yet, but if Christ
tarries I’ll become one someday. I don’t want to make mistakes that have been
made. I’m writing this article from the ‘Children’ viewpoint. I could tell you
how it feels when a parent calls their child and begin to interrogate him/her
keenly; in fact accusing him/her of stealing their money when both the child
and God know it’s not true. These little things can create scars which if not
controlled can take the hearts of the children away from their parents when
they get older. Then the struggle begins; to get their hearts back. Many
parents have failed this operation because of pride; I tell you, humility is
the key. A child would learn to apologize if he/she have seen their parents do
so.
Many
adults today find it difficult to apologise at even small matters because they
never grew up with such. However every growing child should choose to live
right when they discover what is right.
No
matter how hurt your children are, a little sincere apology could bring them
all back to you. But it’s so unfortunate that we live in an environment where
some feel defeated if they apologize. They believe as elder ones, they’re
always right no matter what; but it’s not like that. If God was like that, he
would not have humbled himself to come fellowship with Adam and Eve in the
Garden of Eden. The worst scar anyone could carry is that of the heart and it’s
healed easily, only pride hinders this.
Most
times you see children who can’t express themselves where their parents are just
because they’re hushed at every single move they make. So they grow up with
that inferiority complex feeling that everything they do is wrong (parents
should watch their children but not hinder them from feeling comfortable around
them). They end up not doing anything, or at most settling for little and less significant
things in life (this doesn’t happen in all cases though). Well, as I said I’m writing from the “children” perspective. Maybe
when I get married and have children I’ll write from the “parent” point of
view.
Talents, dreams and visions have been killed because the heart of a
child was handled roughly or without care. Many children battle through this
while growing into adulthood. Some are victorious while some lose. But this war
could be reduced or prevented if their hearts are gotten into the right parts
early; morally, emotionally and most importantly; spiritually.
God
bless us as we remain Ambassadors.
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