Matthew 19:14 (NIV) - Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
I am always amazed at how an event can bring back a memory with vivid clarity.
Last week, something I heard caused me to remember a most unfortunate event I witnessed many decades ago.
When I was a teenager, I went to a department store with my parents.
As soon as we entered the store, I left my parents and went directly to the sporting goods department.
As a teenage boy, this was one of the few areas of the store in which I had much interest.
Baseball season had just begun so I began looking at equipment made for that sport.
A young man in his twenties was there with his very young daughter.
He was looking at some golf clubs while his little girl amused herself by getting into practically everything.
When she got to the footballs, her eyes lit up.
She picked one up and brought it to her father and asked, "Will you buy me a football?"
Her father looked at her and said, "No. When you’re bigger, I’ll buy you a basketball."
Puzzled, the child asked, "Why not a football?"
The father answered, "Because girls don’t play football. They play basketball."
This only confused the child.
She then asked, "Why don’t girls play football?"
Then the man said something to his daughter that I will never forget!
He looked at his daughter and said, "Because God made girls slow and uncoordinated. That’s why!"
At this the little girl began to cry uncontrollably.
I was disgusted.
Then, as if to accentuate his ignorance, he added, "Don’t blame me. it’s not my fault."
This caused the little girl to cry all the more.
My heart bled for this child.
As I walked away, numerous questions raced through my mind.
I asked myself how a father could shatter a little girl’s self esteem the way he had just done.
This little girl trusted her father to always be truthful with her.
As far as she knew, he had been.
This man laid down a foundation for her future failures rather than her future successes.
I also asked myself how he was able to attribute such a lie to God.
Finally, I wondered what would have happened had the child’s mother heard these words.
At this, I realized that it was very probable that he treated her disrespectfully as well.
I said earlier that it was a recent event that brought this memory back.
When I was at the grocery store, I heard a mother publicly call her young son an "idiot".
When I hear parents speak to their children in such ways, it breaks my heart.
Positive words and encouragement serve to build a child up over time.
Negative words and unjust criticisms can tear them down in a heartbeat.
This is especially true of the words spoken by those children should be able to trust completely.
When dealing with a child one do well to heed Biblical caution.
Matthew 18:10 (NET) - "See that you do not disdain one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com
I am always amazed at how an event can bring back a memory with vivid clarity.
Last week, something I heard caused me to remember a most unfortunate event I witnessed many decades ago.
When I was a teenager, I went to a department store with my parents.
As soon as we entered the store, I left my parents and went directly to the sporting goods department.
As a teenage boy, this was one of the few areas of the store in which I had much interest.
Baseball season had just begun so I began looking at equipment made for that sport.
A young man in his twenties was there with his very young daughter.
He was looking at some golf clubs while his little girl amused herself by getting into practically everything.
When she got to the footballs, her eyes lit up.
She picked one up and brought it to her father and asked, "Will you buy me a football?"
Her father looked at her and said, "No. When you’re bigger, I’ll buy you a basketball."
Puzzled, the child asked, "Why not a football?"
The father answered, "Because girls don’t play football. They play basketball."
This only confused the child.
She then asked, "Why don’t girls play football?"
Then the man said something to his daughter that I will never forget!
He looked at his daughter and said, "Because God made girls slow and uncoordinated. That’s why!"
At this the little girl began to cry uncontrollably.
I was disgusted.
Then, as if to accentuate his ignorance, he added, "Don’t blame me. it’s not my fault."
This caused the little girl to cry all the more.
My heart bled for this child.
As I walked away, numerous questions raced through my mind.
I asked myself how a father could shatter a little girl’s self esteem the way he had just done.
This little girl trusted her father to always be truthful with her.
As far as she knew, he had been.
This man laid down a foundation for her future failures rather than her future successes.
I also asked myself how he was able to attribute such a lie to God.
Finally, I wondered what would have happened had the child’s mother heard these words.
At this, I realized that it was very probable that he treated her disrespectfully as well.
I said earlier that it was a recent event that brought this memory back.
When I was at the grocery store, I heard a mother publicly call her young son an "idiot".
When I hear parents speak to their children in such ways, it breaks my heart.
Positive words and encouragement serve to build a child up over time.
Negative words and unjust criticisms can tear them down in a heartbeat.
This is especially true of the words spoken by those children should be able to trust completely.
When dealing with a child one do well to heed Biblical caution.
Matthew 18:10 (NET) - "See that you do not disdain one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com
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