Title:- Kindergarten Cop
Isaiah 1:2 “I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me;
My wife was once taking care of twenty young people of 3 - 4 years of age. Sometimes, in the evening, when she arrived home with that glazed look in her eyes, I was prompted to ask, “And how were the little angels today?” It’s a tin opener type of question and the smell of the answers informed me of just how the next hour or so might play out, whilst the baggage of the day was discarded. Usually I found this question led to three responses.
Response No1:- “They were horrible!” = They were whiney, noisy, and naughty. Solution = Two hot cups of tea and 30 minutes sat in front of ‘Judge Judy,’ just to assure her that yes indeed, there are people in the world far more crazier than she feels she is at the moment.
Response No2:- “Awful!” = She’s got a headache, is longing for the weekend and wants to sleep right now! Solution = three hot cups of tea, two Ibuprofen and chocolate, all to be applied immediately. Holding hands and being hugged profusely to follow.
Response No3:- Silence and shaking head. = This meant they were demonic! She had already written her resignation letter and all firearms needed to be hidden. No amount of tea, sugar, pills, or “Judge Judy” would justify the insane decision of taking care of twenty children,seven hours a day for pitiful wages. Vasectomy was to be discussed in any future pre-marital counselling I may be giving. It was time for me to leave the building.
Just like us, we have found that children carry sin. It is a constant effort to teach them to do good and to pray for them in the face of their consistant rebellion, that they would choose life and love. It’s hard being a parent for when our children do not respond to our loving and careful pleadings and prayers, the self-condemnation we face can be crushing, the unspoken suspicion from other parents can be cutting and the absence of ‘good results’ from applied Biblical principles can be confusing. However, to my fellow and often troubled parents, will you hear today the voice of the Lord, who still is the best parent in the world:
Listen: - The ox knows its owner, And the donkey its master's crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider.” Alas, sinful nation, A people laden with iniquity, A brood of evildoers, Children who are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, They have provoked to anger The Holy One of Israel, They have turned away backward.
Pray:-Lord, please forgive us our sin, and the sins of our children and please keep leading us all, in the Way everlasting, in Jesus name we ask it, amen.
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