THESE DAYS, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT BE CONCERNED ABOUT
YOUR CHILDREN. THERE ARE SO MANY PITFALLS AND DANGERS
JUST WAITING OUT IN THE WORLD FOR THEM TO DISCOVER,
AND YOU KNOW THAT IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO WARN THEM ABOUT
ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. EVERY AGE IS WORRISOME, EACH
MILESTONE BRINGS ON A NEW CHILLING SCENARIO FOR YOU
TO PONDER. YET, IT CANNOT GO ON THAT WAY. SOONER OR
LATER, A PARENT REACHES THE POINT WHERE THEY SAY,
ALRIGHT! NOW, THEY HAVE ATTAINED THIS AGE, AND HAS
BEEN TO CHURCH,(HOPEFULLY) AND KNOWS RIGHT FROM
WRONG, AND I SHOULD HAVE SOME PEACE OF MIND ABOUT
THIS AND THAT...AND THEN THE NEXT WEEK, OR MONTH,
ANOTHER CORNER IS TURNED, AND YOU FIND MORE
THREATS TO THEIR WELL BEING.
NOW, YOU REALIZE, I AM NOT TALKING TO EVERYBODY.
NOT EVERYONE HAS CHILDREN. OR, IF THEY DO, SOME DON'T
WORRY ABOUT THEM TO THIS EXTENT. SOME DON'T WORRY
AT ALL,EITHER BECAUSE THEY WERE SHORT CHANGED ON
CERTAIN HORMONES, OR THEY HAVE NO INTEREST IN THE
KIDS, OR THEY HAVE NO IMAGINATION. OR, THEY LACK
AFFECTION.
BUT I AM NOT ADDRESSING MYSELF TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS.
I AM SPEAKING TO NORMAL PARENTS.
THE ONES WHO WORRY, LIKE ME.
AS INFANTS, YOU STOOD IN THE DOORWAY OF THEIR ROOM,
AND LISTENED TO THEM BREATHE.
WHEN THEY WERE TWO, AND GOT HURT, AND CRIED, YOU CRIED
WITH THEM.
WHEN THEY WERE SICK, YOU HOVERED OVER THEM LIKE
THE GOODYEAR BLIMP UNTIL THE FEVER BROKE.
IF A TRIP TO THE HOSPITAL WAS NECESSARY, IT DIDN'T MATTER
IF YOU WERE WEARING A BOOT AND A SHOE, YOUR HAIR
UNDONE AND STILL IN YOUR BATHROBE, YOU WERE OUT AND
DOWN THE ROAD WITH THEM WITHOUT A SECOND THOUGHT.
MEDICINES WERE PURCHASED AND GIVEN ON TIME, ALL SHOTS
AND CHECK-UPS WERE DISPATCHED LIKE CLOCK WORK, AND
DENTAL VISITS TOOK PRECEDENCE OVER YOUR FAVORITE
T.V. SHOW. THEY GREW UP WITH RULES. THEY KNEW WHERE
THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE, AND WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED
TO BE DOING EVERY DAY AND NIGHT, WITHOUT ASKING.
THEY HAD TABLE MANNERS, SAID PLEASE AND THANK YOU,
AND DID YOU PROUD WHEN YOU TOOK THEM TO A SOCIAL
FUNCTION.IF YOUR KIDS ARE GROWN, THEY HAD CHORES TO
DO, CURFEWS, AND A SET BEDTIME, AND PERHAPS EVEN AN
ALLOWANCE,WHICH THEY EARNED. YOU CORRECTED THEM,
WHEN THEY WERE OLDER, BY TALKING TO THEM, AND
OTHER THAN ONCE OR TWICE, ONCE THEY UNDERSTOOD
YOUR REASONING, THEY DID NOT DISOBEY YOU.
BY THE TIME THEY WERE TEEN-AGERS, ONE DAY, YOU REALIZED
YOU'D RAISED A PRETTY GOOD KID.
THAT WAS ONE OF THOSE CAUTIOUSLY RELIEVED DAYS WHEN
YOU THOUGHT THAT FROM NOW ON, IT JUST GETS EASIER.
FROM THAT MOMENT ON, EVERY TIME YOU TURNED AROUND,
THERE WAS A NEW PROBLEM.
SOMEWHERE IN THERE, YOU HAD TO HAVE TURNED TO THE
LORD.
AND IF IT WASN'T FOR HIS ASSISTANCE, YOU WOULD NEVER
HAVE MADE IT.
BUT, FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE NOT REACHED THAT POINT.
CONSIDER THIS A LETTER OF LOVE.
THE RIGHT HELP IS NOT THE NEWEST FAD OR GURU, DIET, OR
SHRINK.
BECAUSE, WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN, AND YOU CAN'T DO
ANYTHING TO HELP YOUR CHILD, THE ONLY THING LEFT TO
DO, IS PRAY, AND THAT IS THE MOST POWERFUL HELP THERE
IS.
OUI?
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