Parenting on Bended Knee (2)

Last night I described to my wife what I observed about our girls, their characteristics, their strengths, and their weaknesses. And how I don’t know how to help them. It was one of a fruitful couple nights to talk about our children. At least I learnt or felt validated that my observation is not wrong.

This morning, the sun was bright (I always love this kind weather), and as I’m meditating on God’s Word, it suddenly dawned on me. And here I’m writing it down:

And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. 

Luke 1:28-29 (ESV)

It reminds me about our youngest daughter. She is easily scared and intimidated. But she is given the unbelievable ability to discern, and she’s gifted with words. When she talks with God in prayers, those were golds.

And here in the Bible, this morning God shows me, to take learning deeper. The head knowledge is important. You need to know. But that’s not enough. For God’s sake, I pray that the attitude of humility, knowing God personally and intimately be formed in my daughter’s heart and life.

There are so many examples from the Bible how the “unlearnt” people vindicated as wiser and closer to God than those who’re supposed to be “educated”. In this example alone, the contrast is so strong. The first we see Zechariah, a priest who could enter the Holy Place, who obeyed all God’s commands. And the second we see probably a teen, from a small village, going to get married. Yet the first upon hearing what the angel Gabriel said,”How will I know?”, with seems to me a self-focus attitude of the heart, that even if it’s an angel who brings the news, it’s still not sufficient. And the second one in her heart, declares what Paul, James, John always identify themselves with, “I am the Lord’s bondservant”.

It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife,
    but every fool will be quarreling.

Proverbs 20:3 (ESV)

Our eldest girls is on another spectrum. She is gifted with strong mind, a fast learner by nature, able to remember things and make logical deductions. Lately I notice she’s increasingly challenge our reasoning. What might seem a natural progression as children grow bigger, the words of Proverbs above is giving me a nudge.

I find it very interesting that Proverbs who compounds sayings to teach us to be wise. Out of the 31 chapters, a third of it is dedicated to admonish sons & daughters to listen to the fathers & mothers. At every chapter, from chapter 1-9, the same Call for Wisdom are repeated again and again, before it launches into wise sayings which we like to quote and use.

In today’s society which value human’s persuasion so highly, such that a child who talk back is more esteemed than a child who don’t think twice to accept what his/her parents say. I dare to question that wisdom. And I pray for our eldest girl, for God’s sake, to be given spirit of humility, for God gives grace to the humble and He opposes the proud.

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