Ethan, now, is just crying because he thinks he's in terrible trouble. Nicole is about ready to pass out. And I look at little Darnay and he's utterly at peace, bleeding as he is, and I noticed his little lips are moving. So I put my ear down to his little mouth and I hear him repeating over and over again, "I'm just so thankful my daddy is a doctor." Poor deluded boy. I can't even think of a three-digit number at this point, let alone offer him medical assistance. You see what he's doing? He's not responding to the facts, but to his particular interpretation of the facts. He's way more comfortable than he ought to be. And the only place you get absolutely reliable interpretations of life – hear this – is at the feet of the Creator, who knows everything beyond origin and beyond destiny, and tells us all the essential things we need to know about life. There's a third thing. The children you've given birth to are worshipers. Now, that's a tricky word because when you hear the word worship, very often, you're tempted to think Sunday morning, singing and offering, a sermon. You think of a service, but I want you to hear me say this. Worship is first an identity before it's ever an activity. These children are worshipers. They will give their hearts to something. They will attach their identity to something. They will look to something to give them meaning and purpose. Worship is not something you just do on Sunday. It is the fundamental direction system of every human being. We're always worshiping something. As one of my favorite theologians, Bob Dylan, said, "You got to serve somebody." Now you see this. If you pay attention, you see this young also. Let's pretend you have young children and you take one of your children to Toys "R" Us. Don't go there, the devil's in that place. But you're pretty smart parent and you know if you put your child in that seat in the cart and you drive the cart down the middle of the aisles, his or her arms won't be long enough to grab all the things they'd like to have, as they're almost in a drug experience, seeing all of those toys at once. But you get to the final checkout aisle and it's a conspiracy against your parenting because right there at eye-level, are $7.95, $8.95 blister-wrapped items. And little Johnny says to his mommy, "Mommy, can I have one of those?"
Mommy says, "Johnny, I'm not going to buy you anything else."
"Bu-bu-bu-bu-but, mommy, it's a Captain [inaudible] figure and I don't have any of those."
"Johnny, Mommy said she's not buying anything else."
"But Billy has all of them. He even has the PlayStation. I am the only boy I know that has to go to somebody else's house even to hold a [inaudible] figure. Mommy, if you buy me this, I'll never ever ask for anything ever again."
"Johnny, Mommy said she's not going to buy you anything else. Mommy bought you a puzzle."
And at that point, Johnny goes [loud shrieking sound] and begins to scream. It's one of those moments where you wish life had trapdoors, where you could just disappear and take a tube home. You're aware of people walking by with their carts. Now what's going on there? If you think that's just an encounter between you and Johnny, you've missed the point. Hear this. Johnny doesn't want a mom who will provide for him. Johnny doesn't want a God who will provide for him. Johnny wants to be that God. Johnny wants to think and it will happen. Johnny wants to speak and it will be done. And if you stand in Johnny's way, there will be hell to pay. I mean, think about this. Have you ever seen the body of a wordless infant stiffen up in anger? This child cannot yet talk. You fed him. You've changed him. You've sung every song in your glorious repertoire. He's finally asleep and you start out the room. And as you get to the threshold of the door, he pushes himself up on his arms, he stiffens his body and he screams. He's saying, "Oh, no, you don't. You will not leave this room. I love you and have a wonderful plan for your life. I am the Lord." That's worship. That's worship.
You see, it is very, very, very important that these little revelation-receivers, these interpreters, these
Transcript: Session 2
GETTING TO THE HEART OF PARENTING
4 1
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