%
Dr. Clyde M. Narramore, graduate of Columbia Uni versity, New York City, is a psychologist and Consultant in Research and Guidance with one of the largest school systems in America.
How Readers Handled a Problem
Y ou recall in April we printed a letter dealing with a 15-year- old girl who wanted to marry a 25- year-old man (see below). Your responses to the problem have been most gratifying. I have received letters from nearly every section of the United States and Canada. I am especially impressed with your fine spiritual suggestions. In most instances your letters were long but informative and in teresting. Did I read each one? Yes, and I enjoyed every sentence. Naturally there were many dupli cations of suggestions. Space pro hibits my quoting from every letter, but the excerpts on these pages rep resent most of the correspondence. THE PROBLEM M y daughter, age 15, is in high school. Her father and I have always tried to be friendly with her. Since she started high school, she thinks she is old enough to do what she pleases. She is w ell developed and looks much older than she is. 1 have tried to bring her up a Christian girl. Lately, however, we have been hav ing a difference of opinion: how old a boy should she be allowed to date? There is a fam ily in our church who has a son about 25 years old. Our daugh ter seems to have fallen in love with him. W e didn’t think this was a good situation, so we phoned the boy and his father and talked it over with them. But they do not want to understand even though they are Christians. I want to take m y daughter and go to some other church but she won’t go. W e want our girl to finish high school and. then go to a Christian college. Since she has been thinking about love with this 25-year-old man, school has become boring and her grades have gone down. 1 have been praying about it all the time. W on’t you please advise me on the wis est course to take. 1 truly wish 1 had the wisdom of Solomon. Thank you for any help you may be able to give me.
GIRL'S DISOBEDIENCE Woman from Calif. I would have the parents tell her that while husbands are to love their wives, wives are to obey their husbands. Since she “won’t go” to some other church, since “she thinks she is old enough to do what she pleases,” how is she to be a dutiful wife and obey her husband when she has not cared to obey her parents? Woman from Canada The mother says, “ she thinks she is old enough to do what she pleases.” This shows a lack of training in obedience to God and man. No one is ever old enough to do just what he pleases. There is always to be obedience to God and to those in authority. The girl should have been taught obedience from babyhood — from the Scriptures, as God’s will for His chil dren. M y father taught us to obey him and expected obedience and even when we were in our teens we wouldn’t want to disobey him. Obedience had become a habit. It must be for the Christian. ACCEPT THE SITUATION Woman from Calif. Perhaps if she could invite this boy to their home occasionally and let them go to church together, the girl will compromise and date others and this way she would more likely lose interest in the boy sooner. Man from Calif. Invite the man over more and more and even try to keep them together so often and so much that they will get sick and tired of each other. FATHER, HEAD OF HOME Man from Minn. If there is any instruction to be given to the daughter, it should come from the father. The duty of a father is to provide and instruct. The trouble in the world to day is that man has turned from God and so “Eve” has taken over his headship! The order is Christ the head of man, man the head of woman. NEEDS OUTSIDE HELP Man from Calif. Have her talk it over with five or ten
women who married top early. It’s easy to find them. Woman from Pa. She needs friends, counsel, and lots of it, but she is not in the circumstance to get that unless a schoolteacher, librarian, gym instructor or a music instructor would get interested. Even art and painting could help here, for she is at a crossroad. SPIRITUALITY OF GIRL Woman from Canada The mother states, “I have tried to bring her up as a Christian girl.” She does not state whether she has led her to a saving knowledge of Christ as Saviour. That is the first step, and then teach her to live b y ' the power of the Holy Spirit of God in yieldedness to the Lord. If she has been taught to seek God’s will in prayer about every aspect of life, she would pray about it and truly want the Lord’s will. Woman from Mich. Does she really know Christ as Lord and lover of her soul? SPIRITUALITY OF PARENTS Woman from Tex. Maybe God has let this thing happen to bring these parents closer to Him. Man from Minn. This situation that causes concern among the parents only shows that they them selves need a closer walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Dear Brother, please tell this woman to leave her daughter alone and look to the Lord Jesus Christ. Woman from N.Y. I believe that if this mother has done all in her power for her girl, she has noth ing to worry about. Fussing and worry never help. I suggest she just “ Be still and know that I am God.” Woman from Mich. Nominal Christianity brings more heart ache than we can ever fathom. Have they placed Christ as head of the home, had a family altar and placed materialism sec ond?
CONTINUED 39
J U L Y , 1 9 5 6
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker