Miss The Point? Series

MISS THE POINT? IS YOUR PERSPECTIVE RIGHT?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

THIS IS A TWO PART SERIES.

The great Bible commentator --- Matthew Henry was robbed one time.

In his Journal that day he penned the words:

Let me be thankful...

#1 Because I was never robbed before.

#2 Because they took my wallet but not my life.

#3 Because although they took my all, it was not very much.

#4 Because I was robbed and not the one who robbed.

John Hagee said:

There is nothing wrong that doesn’t start in wrong will...

I guess much of life comes from your attitude and your perspective.

I. HAVE WE EVER MISSED THE POINT?

LET US FIRST DEFINE PERSPECTIVE:

There are many dangers when we major in minors and minor in majors, don’t leave the deep things out.

A. PERSPECTIVE:

An optical glass.

To look through, to see clearly.

The interrelation in which a subject or its parts are mentally viewed.

A point of view.

The capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance.

Your mental view, prospect.

The appearance to the eye of objects in respect to their distance and positions.

B. Most know I am a father of two sons.

I have studied psychology, parenting skills, family relationships, and sociology

for years. I taught school 6 years and I have worked with children much of my life.

When I was 25 and teaching school Linda and I had Wade our first son in 1976, Joshua came to live at our house in 1978.

I enjoyed being a Dad. My sons were the youngest musicians in the history of our church.

C. I STARTED PASTORING IN 1981 FULL TIME.

My oldest son was in the first grade and the Church of God pastor’s son were in the same class. These two boys made a great team. One report card Wade had all A’s but one, he had a C in CONDUCT. My 6 year old son had a C?

In conduct of all things? He is the Preacher’s kid?

D. Now you know I am a good Dad?

I didn’t blow up, I thought this out.

I took my son to Druther’s where we ate a hamburger together and we started talking about behavior problems. My son was very receptive to my thoughts.

We drove to the REGIONAL JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.

I parked in front of the structure, and we talked some more.

We talked about CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES.

I asked my son, YOU KNOW WHAT THIS PLACE IS?

He answer, SURE, DAD IT IS A PLACE WHERE BAD BOYS AND BAD GIRLS COME AND GET LOCKED UP.

I told him no young person in there had made plans to be bad and get locked up, but the bad boys made bad choices and the choices got worse and worse

until they had to be locked up.

My son’s eyes got so big.

E. We rode out to the lake at Jenny Wiley State Park and we skipped rocks across the lake and talked about bad choices and bad behavior. He really listened.

We got home and I told Linda what a WONDERFUL DAD I WAS.

F. All evening my son was quiet, and I knew he had learned the lesson.

THE NEXT MORNING, MY SON RAN IN AND JUMPED ON OUR BED AND HUGGED ME SO TIGHT. I was so proud of my Dad skills.

He hugged me and said, THANK YOU DAD! THANK YOU!

I said for what?

He said, YESTERDAY I THOUGHT YOU WAS GOING TO HAVE ME LOCKED UP IN JUVENILE DETENTION, AND THEN AT THE LAKE I THOUGHT YOU WAS GOING TO THROW ME IN THE WATER AND LET ME DROWN! THANK YOU DAD FOR NOT DROWNING ME.

As he prepared for school I thought what I thought was being a super Dad, my son thought I was going to kill him.

G. WOW, WHAT A DIFFERENCE IN THE PERSPECTIVE?

I thought I was A SUPER DAD?

My son thought all night that I WAS GOING TO KILL HIM.

WHICH PERSPECTIVE WAS RIGHT? WHO WAS RIGHT?

Well, I would have died for my son. I would have never killed him for a C in Conduct?

I WENT DOWN STAIRS AND HUGGED MY SON, I THANKED HIM FOR BEING MY SON, AND THAT I WAS PROUD TO HAVE HIM AS A SON.

H. I am telling you sometimes what you think that is so clear to you may not be the same to the person to whom you are talking.

I. YOUR WIFE MAY HAVE ONE PERSPECTIVE AND BE VERY RIGHT IN HER EYES, AND YOUR PERSPECTIVE IS RIGHT IN YOUR EYES. WHO IS RIGHT? WHO IS WRONG?

Your way? Her way? The the right way?

My wife is 5’2" and I am 6’2"? This gives us differing views?