Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Partners in Parenting, Jan. 3, 2011

Off the Path!
Well, it finally happened to me!  I was drinking a nice hot cup of coffee, without a lid on it, the day after Christmas on my way back to my in-law's house.  I had four more coffees for my family members in a carrier on the hump between the front seats of my truck.  The wind was howling, and I was driving about 35 mph due to the icy road conditions - just to be safe.  I was going east when suddenly - my truck continued going east, but I was facing directly north.  I was able to get myself facing east again, but I continued to spin until I was facing south (mind you - the truck is still traveling in an easterly direction).  I then saw the dreaded dry patch of pavement.  Would I roll the truck?  Would I spend my vacation in a hospital?  Then it happened so quickly!  I hit the dry pavement, shot to the south and skidded on top of the ditch full of snow in order to make it into a farmer's plowed field.  When I came to a stop, I thanked God that I was OK, took a drink of coffee, and laughed out loud to see the four cups of coffee in the carrier in the same place they had been all along - unbelievable!!  I had no damage to my truck, and my ego was soothed somewhat as 3 more people spun out there in the next half hour while I waited for a wrecker.  I had gotten off the path and into a potentially very dangerous situation.  Life can be like that for our kids.  They can be lead astray by people who tempt them to disregard the path of Scripture for the path of the culture.  It happens with movies, games, peer pressure, and all kinds of other things that people have created.  Proverbs 2:12-15 reminded me of the need to stay on the straight path of truth that Scripture provides instead of the path of evil that is all around us.  Share this idea of God's path vs. the Culture's path with your kids.
"Wisdom will save you from the ways of the wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil, whose paths are crooked and who are devious in their ways."  Proverbs 2:12-15  

Family Discussion Points!
Share stories of any accidents you've been in with your kids and what you could have done to avoid them.  (For instance, I wonder what would have happened if I had both hands on the wheel)
Talk about how movies can be good, but have some bad content in it.  Do you sometimes even forget to notice the bad content because you are used to it?  Is that OK?
God has given us His word to use to guide our life.  Is there a better guide?  Do you think love motivates God to give us a guide or something else?

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