FROM PROVERS 22:15
“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child”.
I guess that’s right, it sure seems to be.
- Adam and Eve had trouble with Cain
- Noah cursed one of his sons
- Eli’s sons were wicked men
- David had a son who plotted to steal his throne
- He had another son who raped his sister
- Isaac was lied to and deceived by a son
- Jacob had sons who wanted to kill one of their brothers
- Joseph and Mary had sons who didn’t believe in Jesus
- Aaron’s sons were killed because of their foolishness
- The children of Israel were stubborn, rebellious and sinful
WHAT ABOUT ME?
- At five years old I buried my mom’s watch
- At eight I set the back fence on fire
- At eleven I got caught for public mischief
- At twelve I got swats for talking too much in class
- At fourteen I burned up some cotton trailers
- At seventeen I went around town opening fire hydrants
WHAT ABOUT JESUS?
He was twelve when he separated himself from his parents and stayed behind in Jerusalem while they traveled north to Nazareth. When Joseph and Mary discovered he wasn’t with the caravan they headed back and it took them three days to find him. When they did, they were not happy. Nor were they impressed that he was sitting with the Rabbi’s studying and discussing the Torah.
TO CLOSE
I could tell stories of my own kids, but I won’t. But I’ll leave you with this. Kids can be foolish, impulsive, rebellious, unwise, disobedient and snarky. They are capable of mischief, breaking the law, fighting, stealing, cheating, lying, and other such behaviors.
Not all kids do all those things. I didn’t. But I did enough. Moms and Dads, I love you and pray for you and I know sometimes you want to pull your hair out. It’s okay, go ahead. But also know that from the first family on the planet to the very last, parents will know frustration and even heartbreak over what their kids can do.
Hang in there. You are in good company!
“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child.”
