Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Can’t teach a new dog old tricks
Isaiah 40:30-31
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Any of you who are parents, and especially those that are parents of teenagers, I’m sure can identify with that fact that for some odd reason our young people do not feel like we know what we’re talking about. That in our accumulated years, and attendance in the school of hard knocks (and some of us had to repeat a grade!), hasn’t given us any sense of perspective or given us any special knowledge or wisdom. We simply can not understand what they are going through, dealing with or struggling with. The world HAS changed since you and I were kids. When I was 10, I remember blasting out the front door at 8am on a Saturday during the summer and going down a couple of blocks to my friend’s house to play. My mom was still in bed, in fact most everyone else was still in bed including my friend! But I would wait and play in his yard until he got up and all the while mom had no idea where I was. Try that today and parents would be VERY worried! The world is darker and there are people and unsavory elements out there who would like to do harm to our kids. But social issues, peer pressure, figuring out ones identity and other temptations all existed then just as they do now. But even when presented with the truth that we HAVE gone through similar situations and pressures, our kids roll their eyes and they get what I call ‘Charlie Brown’ hearing (ever watch a Peanuts cartoon? ALL of the adults talk like this: Waa Waa, Waa), they just tune you out. But being the loving parents that we all are, we continue to try, we don’t give up. We talk with them, teach them by example and even provide discipline in an effort to help guide them onto the right path.
Isn’t it nice, now that we’re grown and mature, that WE don’t act like that? That we always listen to OUR Father, clean our messes when pointed out and obey Him without rolling our eyes or stomping off?... Uh…yeah…except for the times when He wants me to give of my time…and that area in my life that I keep to myself…or when I shouldn’t be where I’ve been. Listen to what James says in 1:22-26 ‘Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his faith is worthless.’
The difference between us as parents and our Father is that He never puts conditions on His love. Run away from His home and when you’ve had enough and want to come back? He’ll be waiting for you with a new robe, open arms and a grand celebration! Lose your identity in drugs and alcohol and possibly even spend time in prison? Reach out to Him and He’ll be waiting for you with a new robe, open arms and a grand celebration! Hebrews 13:8 says: ‘Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.’ Isn’t that comforting? His nature, His love and His forgiveness are unchanging!
As a parent, can you claim that?
For the love of Amy - V
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Any of you who are parents, and especially those that are parents of teenagers, I’m sure can identify with that fact that for some odd reason our young people do not feel like we know what we’re talking about. That in our accumulated years, and attendance in the school of hard knocks (and some of us had to repeat a grade!), hasn’t given us any sense of perspective or given us any special knowledge or wisdom. We simply can not understand what they are going through, dealing with or struggling with. The world HAS changed since you and I were kids. When I was 10, I remember blasting out the front door at 8am on a Saturday during the summer and going down a couple of blocks to my friend’s house to play. My mom was still in bed, in fact most everyone else was still in bed including my friend! But I would wait and play in his yard until he got up and all the while mom had no idea where I was. Try that today and parents would be VERY worried! The world is darker and there are people and unsavory elements out there who would like to do harm to our kids. But social issues, peer pressure, figuring out ones identity and other temptations all existed then just as they do now. But even when presented with the truth that we HAVE gone through similar situations and pressures, our kids roll their eyes and they get what I call ‘Charlie Brown’ hearing (ever watch a Peanuts cartoon? ALL of the adults talk like this: Waa Waa, Waa), they just tune you out. But being the loving parents that we all are, we continue to try, we don’t give up. We talk with them, teach them by example and even provide discipline in an effort to help guide them onto the right path.
Isn’t it nice, now that we’re grown and mature, that WE don’t act like that? That we always listen to OUR Father, clean our messes when pointed out and obey Him without rolling our eyes or stomping off?... Uh…yeah…except for the times when He wants me to give of my time…and that area in my life that I keep to myself…or when I shouldn’t be where I’ve been. Listen to what James says in 1:22-26 ‘Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does. If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his faith is worthless.’
The difference between us as parents and our Father is that He never puts conditions on His love. Run away from His home and when you’ve had enough and want to come back? He’ll be waiting for you with a new robe, open arms and a grand celebration! Lose your identity in drugs and alcohol and possibly even spend time in prison? Reach out to Him and He’ll be waiting for you with a new robe, open arms and a grand celebration! Hebrews 13:8 says: ‘Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.’ Isn’t that comforting? His nature, His love and His forgiveness are unchanging!
As a parent, can you claim that?
For the love of Amy - V
# posted by Vince @ 7:37 AM 
