POT LUCK - Parent, SLow Down!

Jim and I are people watchers! We always comment on how fast people walk! When they are alone we wonder; "Where are they going and why are they in such a hurry?" Many times they are holding a child's hand. Why is it that the adult can't see or even feel that more times than not, they are dragging the child behind them. The child is running as fast as their little legs can go, to keep up or to keep from falling down. I want to yell: "Slow down? Can't you see that those little legs can't keep up with you today!" Many times when the child is holding them back, they reach down and swing the child up into their arms and begin to walk even faster.

I have heard it is customary for the men in Asian countries to walk ahead of their women. She follows along at a running pace to keep up and yet never along side. My legs are short! I use to walk very fast, taking many steps to keep up. Then I met Jim! Jim says he has short legs and maybe he does. What I know about Jim's legs are that they walk slow and I have no trouble keeping up with him. He even holds my hand! Recently we learned he is considered an old geezer! He has many old ways about him and I would never trade him for anything new!

This morning as I sat at the computer, I noticed a young father with leash in hand, walking behind his dog and running behind him was his young son. The child would run and catch up, still behind his father who continued walking very fast. Soon he was way behind again. As I watched him try several times to catch up, I decided I needed to address this issue. "Parent, slow down!" Your child is walking behind you and when he falls, will you be there to pick him up? Or are you going to yell at him for being so slow!" Stop and look back; let him catch up with you! Unless you let him walk beside you, eventually he won't want to walk with you at all.

Having been a parent of small children and grandchildren, I can't say that I always followed my own rules of today. But, I like to think that I was aware of my children and put their needs before my own. I like to think that I was careful where I walked so that my children would grow up looking at all the paths and choosing circumstpectfully. I like to think when they were small, I changed my pace to match theirs. I did not expect their little legs to keep up with my giant steps; such as they were. Parent, slow down!

Parent, you have much to learn from your children. I know that you are the teacher, but even teachers learn from their students. "He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said; Truly I say to you, unless you become like little children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one of these in My name receives Me." Matthew 18:2-5 Jesus goes on to explain that we are not to cause even one of these children to stumble. If we do, it would be better for us to drown with a millstone around our necks. Not a pleasant picture!

A child that has to run behind their parent to keep up will eventually stop following. They will attach themselves to a pace that is easier for them to keep up with. Don't be a stumbling block to your children. Take their hand and teach them to walk beside you. "And if your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut if off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame, than having two hands or two feet to be cast into the eternal fire." Matthew 18:8 In other words get rid of what causes you to stumble, so that you can be whole.

Children are deserving of your attention from the beginning to the end. You as a parent are deserving of your children's attention from the beginning to the end. However, if you can't slow up long enough for them, they will not slow down for you when the time comes. Parent take heed; for that time will come before you know it. By Jane Ann Crenshaw 9/21/09