Red Alert
Theme of the Week: Double Exposure
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
 1 of 1
Key Bible Verse: The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him (Psalm 103:13). Bonus Reading: Proverbs 10:1; 23:15;27:11
Being observant means being sensitive to your children's words and moods, respecting their worries and concerns. It means getting to know their friends. It may mean watching some of the TV shows they watch, and even (yikes!) listening to some of their music.
Once when my son Joel (then an eighth-grader) came home from school, I was in my den and heard him slamming doors and speaking rudely. At the dinner table he was cranky and sarcastic. Later I again heard him angrily slam the door to his bedroom.
Finally a glaring light went on in my mind: Something important must be bothering Joel. For the past four hours he had been visibly upset. I went to his room and said, "Joel, I just realized that you came home in an irritable mood. Is there something that happened at school that you'd like to talk about?"
My son began to weep. He poured out his hurt concerning an incident that had happened in the classroom. He'd been embarrassed and misunderstood by a teacher. Not knowing how to process it, he carried it home, and it kept leaking out in his negative behavior. I'm thankful the message got through to me.
—Norm Wakefield in The Father Connection
My Response: Am I a shelter my kids can turn to when things get rough?
Thought to Apply: Our children give us the opportunity to become the parents we always wished we'd had.—LOUISE HART (author)
Adapted from The Father Connection (Broadman & Holman, 1996) by permission.
Copyright © 2005 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine. Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity. 1 of 1
Lord, help me to stay connected with the children you've entrusted to me, and to steer them away from the dangers they'll encounter.
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