Responsible Parents
I heard a heart-breaking story today, but one that's only too often repeated - how a girl lacks the emotional connection she needs with her father, and therefore becomes easy prey to guys who promise to love and cherish - and abuse that privilege and then abandon her.
Yes, I know that children who are well-raised often fall by themselves through no fault of the parents. However, I'm just touching on the majority of people that I've witnessed.
Young men are far more likely to become addicted to pornography and girlfriends to boost their insecure self-esteem and girls are far more likely to dress immodestly (not counting in the peer pressure, of course) and move into relationships with boyfriend after boyfriend, even giving up their virginity, if they lack the emotional family connection back home - and most importantly, the influence of their father.
When a guy has a close emotional bond with his father, and when a girl has an open communication and connection line with her father; when a guy and a girl are able to freely converse with their mother without ending up in a verbal fight and feeling unable to express the way they feel, then they're more likely to end up as the individuals we need to start the next generation.
Things like this make me cry...how important and how valuable it is that parents put effort and dedication into their children's lives, into keeping those communication lines open. How responsible we are for the next generation...and how much one thing that isn't really bothered about (ie, communication, after all, they provide church, God input, clothing, a house) has value.
It's funny, cause so many Christian parents focus on two of the three values - physical care and spiritual care. And forget the joining level - emotional care.
It's when we damage that middle level that neither of the other two levels mean anything.
We're body, soul and spirit - and if we don't care for the soul, then we make it harder for God to access the spirit. And if you notice, nearly all kids would rather live with meagre food and holes in their clothing with two or three toys, and feel happy and loved, than they would to be in a wealthy, rich home and starved of affection and care.
They want to be listened to - for what hurts them to be heard, for their pain to be felt, for their confusion to be understood. While we cannot be God and be the ultimate comforter, we can be His Hands and reach out to ease the pain and point through our self-sacrifice (giving up time and things) to Him.
A father needs to provide care and attention and form close emotional bonds with his children as much as a mother needs to give time and unconditional love and developing her relationship with God so she can draw her family close to Him.
Wow...
I'm awed and humbled by the responsibility of parenthood...more so than ever before, as God asks me to be open and usable for Him to reach these young people.
The cry of most people is "Listen to me!" A cry for understanding.
I just want to say..."Don't give up."
Christ loves.
With His love,
~Mademoiselle Siân
Yes, I know that children who are well-raised often fall by themselves through no fault of the parents. However, I'm just touching on the majority of people that I've witnessed.
Young men are far more likely to become addicted to pornography and girlfriends to boost their insecure self-esteem and girls are far more likely to dress immodestly (not counting in the peer pressure, of course) and move into relationships with boyfriend after boyfriend, even giving up their virginity, if they lack the emotional family connection back home - and most importantly, the influence of their father.
When a guy has a close emotional bond with his father, and when a girl has an open communication and connection line with her father; when a guy and a girl are able to freely converse with their mother without ending up in a verbal fight and feeling unable to express the way they feel, then they're more likely to end up as the individuals we need to start the next generation.
Things like this make me cry...how important and how valuable it is that parents put effort and dedication into their children's lives, into keeping those communication lines open. How responsible we are for the next generation...and how much one thing that isn't really bothered about (ie, communication, after all, they provide church, God input, clothing, a house) has value.
It's funny, cause so many Christian parents focus on two of the three values - physical care and spiritual care. And forget the joining level - emotional care.
It's when we damage that middle level that neither of the other two levels mean anything.
We're body, soul and spirit - and if we don't care for the soul, then we make it harder for God to access the spirit. And if you notice, nearly all kids would rather live with meagre food and holes in their clothing with two or three toys, and feel happy and loved, than they would to be in a wealthy, rich home and starved of affection and care.
They want to be listened to - for what hurts them to be heard, for their pain to be felt, for their confusion to be understood. While we cannot be God and be the ultimate comforter, we can be His Hands and reach out to ease the pain and point through our self-sacrifice (giving up time and things) to Him.
A father needs to provide care and attention and form close emotional bonds with his children as much as a mother needs to give time and unconditional love and developing her relationship with God so she can draw her family close to Him.
Wow...
I'm awed and humbled by the responsibility of parenthood...more so than ever before, as God asks me to be open and usable for Him to reach these young people.
The cry of most people is "Listen to me!" A cry for understanding.
I just want to say..."Don't give up."
Christ loves.
With His love,
~Mademoiselle Siân
*gives you a standing ovation*
ReplyDelete~Dri