A Parent's Work Is Never Done Series

A PARENT’S WORK IS NEVER DONE (JUDGES 14:1-15:1)

Have you heard of the “Are You Ready for Children?” test?

MESS TEST:

Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Now rub your hands in the wet flower bed and rub on the walls. Cover the stains with crayons. Place a fish stick behind the couch and leave it there all summer.

TOY TEST:

Obtain a 55-gallon box of Legos. (If Legos are not available, you may substitute roofing tacks or broken bottles.) Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream (this could wake a child at night).

GROCERY STORE TEST:

Borrow one or two small animals (goats are best) and take them with you as you shop at the grocery store. Always keep them in sight and pay for anything they eat or damage.

DRESSING TEST:

Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff into a small net bag making sure that all arms stay inside.

FEEDING TEST:

Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill halfway with water. Suspend from the ceiling with a stout cord. Start the jug swinging. Try to insert spoonfuls of soggy cereal (such as Fruit Loops or Cheerios) into the mouth of the jug while pretending to be an airplane. Now dump the contents of the jug on the floor.

NIGHT TEST:

Prepare by obtaining a small cloth bag and fill it with 8 to 12 pounds of sand. Soak it thoroughly in water. At 8:00 p.m. begin to waltz and hum with the bag until 9:00 p.m. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for 10:00 p.m. Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have ever heard. Make up about a dozen more and sing these too until 4:00 a.m. Set alarm for 5:00 a.m. Get up and make breakfast. Keep this up for five years. Look cheerful.

One of the sweetest couples in the Bible is Manoah and his wife, but their child was more than a handful, more than any normal parent could handle. Their child was a special gift and a miracle child when the couple was childless. From the very beginning, the couple knew that they were merely entrusted with the task of raising Samson and that God had other plans for him. The emerging adult Samson had superhuman strength, drew national attention, and was destined for great things. He was set apart by God from birth to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines (Judg 13:5).

How do parents prepare their hearts and their child to experience life’s successes and setbacks, its twists and turns, and his friends and foes? What if your child is a gifted child? How do you help him or her fulfill his or her potential and avoid the pitfalls?

Parenting Is a Privileged Responsibility

12 So Manoah asked him, “When your words are fulfilled, what is to be the rule for the boy's life and work?” 13 The angel of the LORD answered, “Your wife must do all that I have told her. 14 She must not eat anything that comes from the grapevine, nor drink any wine or other fermented drink nor eat anything unclean. She must do everything I have commanded her.” (Judg 13:12-14)

24 The woman gave birth to a boy and named him Samson. He grew and the LORD blessed him, 25 and the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him while he was in Mahaneh Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. (Judg 13:24)

USA Today released the results of a survey by Public Agenda, a nonprofit research organization, on how 1,607 parents of kids ages 5 to 17 feel and say about their success in raising kids and the hurdles and hindrances of child-rearing. 91 percent of the parents said honesty is essential, but only 55 percent said they have succeeded in teaching it. 84 percent of adults said courtesy is essential and 62 percent have succeeded in teaching it. 83 percent of parents said it is vital to teach kids self-control, but only 34 percent admitted they have succeeded. 82 percent believe it is essential to teach their children to do their best in school, but only 50 percent can say they have gotten their message across. 74 percent said independence is essential but only 38 percent said they have conveyed it successfully. 70 percent said good money habits are essential, but only a mere 28 percent said the message is gotten across.

About 90 percent of the same parents lament that said TV programs are getting worse every year because of bad language and adult themes in shows during prime time. However, 93 percent say TV is all right so long as children watch the right shows in moderation. (“Parents Feel They’re Failing to Teach Values,”USA Today, October 30, 2002)