Relying on teenagers is risky; at least that is what people think. As I learn to deal with the two teenagers in my life, I am discovering something different. Relying on teenagers is not risky in the sense of random responses, rather they respond with their feet – if you are of interest they help, if not then they ignore you and do exactly what they want to do at the moment. They will probably not say anything; they just vote with their feet. The challenge and risk lies in knowing how they will evaluate the particular moment in time.
As one grows older life teaches that success comes in doing what you do not what to do when required. Most learn this the hard way; having accidents when it was time to recover through sleep, hurting a close friend because of a careless decision, or missing out on an important opportunity because of a poor choice made weeks or even months before. Solomon points out the facts that many parent has observed.
“Young people are prone to foolishness and fads; the cure comes through tough-minded discipline.” (Proverbs 22.15)
This is one bit of historical fact that helps clarify why someone young would want to be disciplined; Solomon understood what was at risk. He had seen it all, foolish brothers trying to take the throne, a father making acting as if he were a teenager and making foolish mistakes, and reality of his own misspent youth.
Behavior changes, for all of us, when we understand the goal. It is not enough to empty the cup of all things bad you have to want to fill it with something compellingly attractive! During the past few days Carli and Whitney caught of vision of what it was going to take to get to our Redwood vacation. With this vision things came into focus; help materialized when needed, bright smiles showed when it was got tough, and even silence when words would have only made matters worse.
Everyone is a kid at heart; thanks kids for the lessons.
