keeps saying, 'You are going to grow up to be a delinquent. If you do not go to reform school, or wind up in jail, I miss my guess.'" An old proverb says, "If you give a dog the name of a cur he will not rise any higher." The same is true with youngsters. This poor lad confided in his mother, "I have heard him say such things so many times I wish I could die. I think dad despises me." No doubt this father meant well, but he had no real understanding. The grand mother admonished her son, "You should not be like that." In an unguarded moment he confided to his wife, "She does not remem ber how she kicked and abused me when I was little." Here, you see is the secret. Let us not expect our children to be perfect. We must not pro voke them to wrath. Parents some times fail to explain that they are not always right. Many times I am sure their young hearts are cleaner and purer in the ways of the Lord than our own. Let them know we make mistakes and sin against the Lord, needing to ask His forgive ness. Tell them that to learn obedi ence to their heavenly Father they need to know an earthly father's discipline. This, too, must be done in love so that they will grow up to appreciate Christ's sacrificial love for them. So often I would say to my boys, "When I am too hard on you, son, be patient with your father. He will make mistakes, but his desire is that you may grow up to become a
Talbot Seminary class of 1972
Page 55
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker