Kids & Parenting
The Title to this originated out of the mouth of moms….not babes. Last night my family was visiting with each other after my brother an sister in law came in from Chicago. We had a wonderful visit and was just hanging out at my parents house. Lisa (my sister n law) asked me if I wanted to go to Meijer with her to pick up some shaving cream for my brother while the folks played a game of scrabble with my brother video taping them (later to be made into a youtube video) I am almost certain.
Lisa and I decided to go to Meijer and it was nearing 11 PM. We had a really nice visit. While we were at Meijer I was unexpectedly blessed tremendously by Lisa, but I won't go into detail about that even though she made me cry at the same time we were wondering why someone would need Orange Spider decorated house slippers. (Still trying to figure that one out.)
We were heading back to my parent's house when we noticed a cop car with flares and a flashlight at the end of their street. I said "Hmmm…must be that house on the corner again causing ruckus.) So since it was nearing midnight at this point, I called my dad. As we turned down the next street, there were two guys wandering in the street, one had no socks and no shoes on with no shirt, like they were looking for someone. I called my dad and said, "So….you need to be on the porch when we get to the house cause you have patrol on your street and we don't feel like being taken hostage by anyone tonight."
We got in the driveway and no sooner did we get in the driveway five more cruisers showed up on the street. We all just went inside and by this time there were about 25 people walking around on cell phones trying to figure out what was going on. My brother and I started reflecting on how when we lived in that neighborhood growing up, the biggest problem we had was one of our friends ears getting ran over by one of our other friends bike wheels, while they were jumping a bike ramp and the other was doing a cartwheel. Or how my brother and I were the "trouble makers" in our habitation as we would occasionally steal street signs. Or have the radio station equipment from the school in our house and while parents were at work, would invite the entire neighborhood of kids over and blast "You gotta fight for your right to party" by Beastie Boys and head bang on the front porch, while others were in the yard playing kickball.
I remember one time my brother asked me if I wanted to play a new game. It was one where we would ride our bikes down the driveway and try to dodge him trying to hit us with the tire swing. Ok, so when you ask someone who wanted to break a big mason jar in an aluminum trash can and get her brother to guess the amount of broken pieces….and afterwards have to count to see if he is right (almost causing self to lose complete top of finger) .to play a game of dodge the tire swing…..hey you know I was on it like whip cream on a frappachino. I volunteered to go first, hence being the first one to fail at dodging the tire swing ending the game instantaneously after smashing my face into the concrete. Yes, trouble makers we were, even to the point of taking an old mattress out behind the house and using the roof as a launch pad for take off onto the mattress dive. God only knows how many times we could have broken our necks but it was fun to be an outlaw. LOL
So, as I stood there thinking on those things not once did I recall ever seeing a police car on our street. I decided to walk out into the street and find out what was going on. By this time the street was full of police cars and there was an ambulance there as well. One of the guys that has lived with his parents since I can remember was drunk riding his bike down the street, and I said. "Hey, do you know what happened?" He said, there were two fugitives on the run and they found them hiding in an old lady's flowers at the end of the street. They tried to break into one of the businesses nearby." I just laughed and walked back toward my parents' house.
So you are probably asking, "Why did I say all of that?" Have you noticed that through the generations there have been numerous things that have manifested in the youth of our nation to a point of lack of moral beliefs and concerns? Today children are not blaring their radios to Beastie Boys they are cutting themselves listening to Insane clown posse or Insane "Manson". Their friends are getting pregnant or getting their tongues pierced. Many are walking around clothed in the death of their sorrow and pain and neglect of love from parents who refuse to take the time to build a solid foundation for their children based on a moral upbringing and consequences of choices. If you look at the ways in which times of changed through the years, one must question why?
Here is a chart to give you a visual of the things that have changed. This chart represents the social issues reported in schools throughout our nation comparing 1940 to 1990.
Top disciplinary issues reported by school faculty.
1940 1990
1.) Talking out of turn. 1.) Drug Abuse
2.) Chewing Gum 2.) Alcohol Abuse
3.) Making Noise 3.) Pregnancy
4.) Running in the Halls 4.) Suicide
5.) Cutting in line 5.) Rape
6.) Dress Code Violations 6.) Robbery
7.Littering 7.) Assault
You know the dictionary defines fugitive as "fleeing, apt to flee, or having fled, as from danger, justice, etc."
"passing quickly away, fleeting; evanescent
having to do with matters of temporary interest
roaming; shifting"
I have talked with several youth today and they feel so lonely and empty and dead. They have a broken heart toward God, cause God's spirit wants to live in everyone and even when our lives are miserable and we are not Christians God still tries to speak to us. So these youth become angry and hurt because they feel God doesn't love them because of how others have treated them. Specifically focusing on their parents. Many of these kids just want to be accepted and loved by someone, so they go out of their way to leave some kind of mark or an impression, whether it be negative or not, does not matter to them, just as long as they are recognized by someone.
A few months back, I picked up someone I love who I can tell is hurting. She is 15 years old and a professing bisexual/ Satanist.(Gothic) . She is such a beautiful girl and so intelligent. Anyway, I took her and her friend to the mall and they ran into a kid that worked there that knew them. (Mind you I am wearing a white T-Shirt that says "Jesus, that is my final answer" with a baseball hat on backwards that says, "Jesus loves me".) I was in the company of three gothic kids (I mean very recognizable gothic kids) the kind that people have a tendency to stare at in shock. What was funny about this situation is I think I was getting stared at more than they were…because I was with them and people just didn't understand my logic I suppose. The young man who had almost his whole face covered in green and black make up with his hair…ummm I can't even explain…kept acting like he was getting mad. If someone would look at him longer than usual after they would go past, he would say, "Gosh, why not buy a camera, what is their problem?"
After a few of those comments, I looked at him and I said, "No, what is your problem? You dress that way because you want to stand out and you want to get recognized, so why do you get upset when it happens?" He replied, "I don't know." When I took the two girls to church with me (at my old church). People at church were staring at them as well. Some of the youth were murmuring….(what are they doing here? They aren't dressed right for church.) one girl was pointing and talking loud and I politely tapped on her shoulder and said…."Hey stop doing that, don't do that."
I wonder what the church would do today if John the Baptist walked into their church with bugs crawling on his unshaven face after a tasty meal. I am fed up with people making these fugitives hide out in flowerbeds. It's sad that most parents don't even know what is growing inside their children. So, snails and crickets and spiders and worms begin to crawl into these flowerbeds and eat away at any strong roots of a foundation so the flowers never come to surface and what you have is a flowerbed full of dried up soil that can't produce any life because all it's life has been eaten away.
What then remains are thousands upon thousands of fugitives, children fleeing from integrity, from moral beliefs, from the fear of God, from truth, from right and wrong, from happiness and joy to death and sorrow. From patience and growth, to urgency and pain. From the acknowledgement of consequences, to the lack of concern or respect of self. Many times ending in them taking their own lives before someone realizes that, that garden could bloom new life if someone would begin to till it and restore the life by planting fresh seed and nurturing the garden as guided by the Son.
So, I ask has God shown you a flowerbed where there is a fugitive lingering about? Do you have the gardening tools to bring it back to life? It's time we get on our knees and put on our gloves for the Lord. It will get messy that is almost a guarantee…but just think…how sweet the aroma will be to God when that flower begins to bloom because someone took the time to tend to what was needed.
Here is a poem that I wrote awhile back, that I thought would go with this.
"In the Garden"
Faith is a seed to often taken for granted.
A precious love deep within' that the Lord has planted.
It must be watered and cared for at times when it gets dry.
And we know at times it will wilt which brings a tear to our eye.
But in the morning we must stop and greet it before we go about our day.
For we know it takes prayer to keep us going along our way.
Seeds are tossed about each day causing gardens to start.
But if the planter doesn't nourish it, it will begin to part.
If the bloom begins to show it's face but the sun dries it out.
It may only be a season where it's strength is in a drought.
We all get thirsty from time to time and our head tends to hang low.
But if we stand and righteously care, something will begin to grow.
The Son will surely show His grace and upon the Earth shall flourish.
Seeds of faith hope and love that we all should pray for and nourish.
So do not doubt the power that a carpenter has in the garden.
He is capable to replenish all with one simple pardon.
The seed of the word of the Lord on High need so fervently to be spread.
Water and care for it day and night creating a harmonious flowerbed.
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