When I was a teenager, my mom used to tell me that I could use her as an excuse anytime I might find myself in a socially compromising situation. The phrase was along the lines of,
“ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Do you know how many ways my mom will annihilate me if/when she finds out? Do you have any idea how many synonyms my dad knows for reprimand? I suppose you WANT me to be grounded until graduation!!”
You get the idea. And it was not an unworthy one. Fortunately, I don’t recall ever having to use it, but the concept of loving parental authority over me was more protective that I realized at the time.
Similarly, when I first started as a school nurse, I was over and/or included in five distinct districts throughout our entire county. I traveled every day, knew people all over, including law enforcement, district supervisors, teachers, parents….and they knew me.
I.e., I had eyes everywhere. And I tended to let my children’s teachers be aware that I wanted “to know”.
Yes, I obey your commandments and laws
because you know everything I do.
I think one of the common misconceptions that teenagers throw at their embattled parents is the presumably damning comment, “you don’t trust me”. To which the correct answer may be, “I trust you to the level of your age and experience,” with the corollary, “I don’t trust those around you whom you don’t even know are there.”
One of the jobs of parenting is to dole out appropriate freedom while at the same time making it really tough for them to mess up. Having that internal restraint, whether it’s knowing that the folks at home are waiting up for the door knob to turn, or that mom has more eyes than simply in the back of her head, is not a bad thing for a teenager to contemplate.
But neither is it for us. As a child of the King, obviously my motivation for obedience to my loving heavenly Father needs to mature beyond this concept, but let’s face it, knowing the hammer could fall is beneficial to add to the tool chest of spiritual stimuli. Even Joseph may have been thinking this when he used it with Potipher’s wayward wife, “how can I do this thing and sin against my God?!”
Our God is a good, good Father. His knowledge of us, inwardly and outwardly, is beyond what we even know of ourselves. He “knows our thoughts from afar”, and there is nowhere I can go from His presence, (Psalm 139). Restrictive? No more than a train on its designed railroad tracks or the earth in its orbit.
Safe for me, and all those around me.
Psalm 119:168 Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
I wandered over to your blog today and I’m very glad I did. Just hit the follow button.
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Well, now, that’s a HUGE compliment!! Merriest of Christmases to you and yours!
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This is such a cute way to see it. Had to share on the FB page: https://www.facebook.com/shatteredinhim/
🙂
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Thank you so much!
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What are the avenues that we older people have to present these well experienced (if not learned) lessons. Most of the teachers, church and school, are only slightly older than their students. Seems to be the in thing to select youth leaders who are hip and agile – neither adjective fits me nor many of my peers. You have presented such a good lesson.
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This is, most unfortunately, a cultural travesty in much of the western world. My husband just finished reading me another of his yet-to-be-published manuscripts that deals with an older couple intervening in the lives of two twenty-somethings. I hear you.
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The theme of Robert’s book sounds great. May it be blessed to great ministering effects.
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That’s what we’re hoping for; God’s got it.
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Wow when my kids are older I need to give the same advice to my kids of using my name to get out of certain situations…good post overall.
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Standard parental play when I was growing up.
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I am glad I read this. You’ve planted a seed in my head.
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Ah Hah!! Now to see what germinates!!
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Very interesting post 🙂 🙂 So happy I came across it. Great work! x x
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Hey! Thanks so much for visiting! And Merry Christmas!
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Your welcome 🙂 🙂 Merry Christmas to you too x x
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Hope to see some others stop in here: https://shatteredinhim.com/2016/12/20/gifts-of-recognition/
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