Listen Slowly

‘...teach them to your children...’ Deuteronomy 4:9 NKJV

Being a parent is a privilege, so you must convince your children that they’re more important to you than career success or acquiring material things. Never miss a chance to tell them you love them. Be there! Being a parent is a responsibility. God doesn’t hold the government or the school system responsible for your children, He holds you responsible! ‘Do not forget the things your eyes have seen…Teach them to your children and to their children after them.’ Being a parent is a limited opportunity. If you neglect them long enough, your children will conclude they’re not as important to you as the things you keep sacrificing them for. When that happens you’ve effectively lost them. Is that a price you’re prepared to pay? If not, rearrange your priorities. In his book Avoiding Stress Fractures, Charles Swindoll writes, ‘I vividly remember some time back being caught in the undertow of too many commitments and too few days. It wasn’t long before I was snapping at my wife and our children, choking down my food at mealtimes, and feeling irritated at those unexpected interruptions through the day. Before long, things around our house started reflecting the pattern of my hurry-up style. It was becoming unbearable. I distinctly recall after supper one evening the words of our younger daughter, Colleen. She wanted to tell me about something important that had happened to her at school that day. She hurriedly began, “Daddy-I-want-to-tell-you-something-and-I’ll-tell-you-really-fast.” Suddenly, realising her frustration, I answered, “Honey, you can tell me…and you don’t have to tell me really fast. Say it slowly.” I’ll never forget her answer: “Then listen slowly.”‘