A story is told of a four-year-old boy who had never talked. His parents were very concerned. One morning at breakfast the said, “These eggs are cold.”
His parents were shocked and asked him, “Why haven’t you talked to us up to this point?”
His answer was: “Well everything has gone pretty well up until now.”
This story seems to resonate with our times. It is as though the top has been taken off of something brewing and now we are trying to determine what is in the pot. The challenge comes in wrapping our brains around what is at our doorsteps. All of a sudden we have a compelling sense that we must check in, have our voice heard, and that our children need an extra layer of our protection.
Dr. James Dobson is fully aware of the contemporary times and its effects on families. He has been encouraging and helping parents for decades in strong biblical parenting. He is the Founder and President of Family Talk, a nonprofit organization that produces his radio program Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk. He is the author of more than 70 books dedicated to the preservation of the family. I recommend that you prayerfully read his June 2021 Newsletter.
We each must sort through all the information that is coming at us to determine how do “I” respond and discern what is actually affecting my children, home and family. Where do I intervene? Our individual responsibilities are relatively small and manageable if our priorities are in check; yet they are of the utmost importance.
School is about to reopen. In his newsletter referenced above, Dr. Dobson suggests to parents:
- “1. Introduce your toddlers to Jesus, remember to pray for them daily;
- 2. Become involved in your children’s school, with their teachers and the curricula;
- 3. Remember this: These are your children, they do not belong to educators.”
God chose us to parent our children. He did not give them to the public arena.
“Listen, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 (NLT)
