Parents, Please, Protect Your Most Valuable Resource

She stood with dark eyes, looking up at me. My ear turned over the paved horizon, waiting for the roaring sound of the yellow bus, shattering the dawn of birds chirping, happily to one another.

Rain darts down, amidst the morning. Yet, I lift my eyes upward and see a canopy of evergreens, the same trees harboring my feathered friends, stretching out as a shelter, protecting us perfectly.

And I think…If God made this covering from long armed-branches, how much more should we as carnal, weak, fallable parents, be a shelter for our children?

The bus arrives, roaring in front of us. I scoot my little one on, wave, and blow kisses, completely daunted at what her day might bring.

I have seen it lately, this shift in parents, to spend life-times on self-images, personal care, their own ministries, plans and purposes…

Yet, who cares about the core faith and character of our children?

We hand over little-ones to buses, daycares, internet, t.v.’s. Send them to late night friend’s houses…claiming “we are free”…valuing more the silence when they are not around tha the reality…

God has given us the gift of caring for another human being.

Shouldn’t the kids in our society, be our highest priority?

We neglect their needs, then wonder why we find a world of children desperate for hope, in want, looking for their identities in Disney Channel, alcohol or the latest drug offered to them in High School?

Yes, I have felt the cry lately. Two new young people commited suicide recently, here in our small town. A community looking around as if shocking or unbelievable.

While, Hollywood has their own string of hopelessness…

Yet, if Hollywood’s suicides teach us anything, it is that fame, fortune or money can’t save us. 

Only a Spirit revelation of our indentities and purpose through Jesus, will ever be our saving grace.

I tred out into the rain again this morning. Our new puppy looks for me to leash him, teach him to come, sit, and not run wildly in the streets.

The canopy of evergreens drapes wide, harboring a, “Hoo Hoo”, of an owl still awake from last night.

A “rat tat tat”, of a woodpecker, makes the tree her dwelling. Chipmunks chase eachother up the roots, taking nuts to their home in our thirty year cedars.

And I see this covering of the trees, look up and glory in a God who made so thoughtfully this earthly representation of protection, not just for His children, but so many of his created ones too.

The true love of any good parent, makes first a priority, the care and protect of its children.

I breath deep at the awesome thought…

Whoever owned our property before us, carefully planted evergreens around the entire five-acres of our land…like a shield, a natural fence, an earthly protection from what lies on the other side.

Yet, today, kids are left on the internet for hours, get addicted to their phones, porn, look for anything and everything to fill them, parents placing priority on “happiness” or sports, more than their children’s character or God-given identities.

All the while, societies are left devastated by shot up schools. Predators, like the ones roaming Walmart here locally, walk up to parents, “hinting” for them to sell them their children.

Schools are at a loss, teachers are telling us, they go home nightly and cry because they can’t control our children.

I was at a school recently, and a child kept ragging wildly. The teacher lured him with a pack of gummy bears, like an anmal, out of the ragging assembly.

The message? Those who act bad, get rewarded with sugary treats. What happened to “positive” reinforcement? The psychology that says if you reward bad behavior they’ll just keep doing it again over and over again?

Yes, I am at a loss, friends.

At a loss at why we allow violence, harsh words, bullying, and hate to fill our children’s hearts, while parents are too busy taking selfies, pursuing careers, or distracted by their ministries?

Shouldn’t “training up our children in the way they should go?” (Prov. 22:6) be our highest priority? Shouldn’t “teach our chldren when they are young and they won’t turn from it” (Prov 22:6) be our motto for living?

Shouldn’t wanting character and integrity be more valuable to us as parents, than a children’s material success or academic achievements?

So often we seek flashy names and big ministries, while our offspring are left suffering with increased anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideations.

I am no expert. I don’t have perfect children. Yet, I am convicted, we must shelter, advocate, educate, and empower our children…

Or we have missed the most important thing, as parents.

Children are any societies most valuable resource.

I hear him from a microphone as he passes out shoes for the poorer children in Curahuasi, Peru. He urges parents to care for and protect their children.

He says, “If you love your children, even close to how I love my daughter…you will take good care of them” He goes on to admonish them to make their children a priority.

You see, the first sign any society is failing, is the disregard, neglect, lack of protection, or rejection of their children.

We must not abort, disown, or discard our children. But instead, call them to a higher standards of integrity and faith, an identity than can’t be shaken by society’s failings.

If a tree can reach out, guard, protect, and harbor so much life…why can’t we, as parents, who have the God-given right…put ourselves second, and make our children a first and most treasured priority?

I stand in the shelter of the trees. Rain keeps falling. But I see a people who adore, prize, and uncover the value of their children’s God-given identities.

They know and understand the fruit of what love means. They are rewarded, adorned by God, wise, and truly blessed…

Because like God did, He sent His son from heaven, putting His children first, so we might inherit His Kingdom.

“If I have all [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love [reaching out to others], I am nothing.” ~1 Corinthians 13:2