When Children Go Astray

There are so many parents who are just embarassed about the decisions and choices their children are making and most look at me as if I've done something so wonderful because all three of mine are in college. Well, I hate to burst anyone's bubbles but I deserve no praise for this and the only thing I can say to you is from the time my children were small, I spoke in their hearing that not going to college wasn't an option. I took away their right to choose by constantly telling them that I would not be satisfied until I held their college degrees. Although, highschool graduation day was sweet, it wasn't the certificate that I praised.

Some children will quickly tell their parents that they are tired of school but no matter where they work, it still requires learning. Learning is just an element of life that never goes away and when it does, you better watch out because PRIDE will try to invade. So to me, to make the excuse that you are tired of school is to prepare yourself for a life governed by self, and this always leads to pure destruction.

I can just imagine what the father in the Bible felt when his prodical son declared that he wanted what was his so he could leave. We all desire for our children to have the best but sometimes it's the worst situations (or what we feel is the worst) that leads to the best child. Eventhough, they are the products of our DNA, they are their very own fearfully and wonderfully made, unique self. So as a parent, we have to embrace this uniqueness and pray that they don't have to go through too much fire to become the person God created them to be; or to walk in the purpose He's assigned to them.

Nevertheless, when and if they do go astray, parents we must remember that it is not our fault! Maybe you didn't spank them, maybe you spanked them too much, maybe you didn't talk to them, maybe you talked too much, maybe you weren't a friend to them, maybe you were too friendly, maybe you gave them too much, maybe you didn't give enough....as you see, there's no perfect way to parent. The best that you can do is always find BALANCE...and PRAY! So, move from the space of thinking that you should be ashamed of them and begin to love on them. You have a covenant connection with your children and this gives you the right to hang in their even when they are going in all the wrong directions.

God has a way of making it all work out! I'm just crazy enough to believe that anything, any spirit, any faults that attaches itself to my children can and will be brought down. I believe that the anointing breaks yolks and strongholds can be broken. So the next time your children go astray, hold your head up and put on your HOLY boldness, stand flat footed on the WORD of GOD and declare that they shall live and not die, that they will turn from their wicked ways, and most importantly that God has the power to protect them until they come to themselves. Be Blessed!

Not Bad, Just Wise

Out of all my children, my little Dwight Gatlin Jr. better known as DJ was an exceptional child. What do I mean by exceptional? You wanted to spank his butt everyday except when he was sleep. (LOL)

He was only a year old when we found him on top of the cabinets, in the bathroom sink, and on top of the refrigerator. This boy almost made us feel like he was a gymnast! Then by the time he was three, he was going to tell his momma everything. To this day, my mother jokes at how fast he would climb our stairs in Florida to snitch on her for drinking my sodas.

People would say, "That boy is bad". And although sometimes I even thought that, I was infuriated by their mere suggestion of such. So, I began to challenge my child. Anyone who could call a complete football game by the age of four and tell you exactly what the referee was going to call could not be considered bad. Even when he was four, he was playing Madden against the area teenagers who were amazed that this four year old had the ability to beat them.

I started to recognize bad as smart! Isn't it amazing that when you really sit down with a child who has behavioral problems and you talk to them; you find that most of the time, the child knows more than you think he or she should know. DJ could be in a classroom, hear you say something while he was half sleep and still pass a test. Not only that, he has always been able to hold conversations with any adult. So my challenge begin by asking him strange questions. These were questions that only wisdom could answer.

Then I found out that this child wasn't so much a smart child as in genius, but he was indeed a wise child. This wisdom could come from one source and that source alone....God. God saw fit to bless this child with an unusual sense of wisdom and now I had to adapt to parent this type of child. When I realized this, it made me set higher goals for him, share deeper spiritual revelations with him, and most importantly listen to him. Yes, the child whom everyone thought was bad and had to be spanked in Mr. Christian's second grade class, was now sharing a message of truth to his mother that only God could give.

Now just as with any wise person, it's sometimes hard to tell him anything. Nevertheless, here's the trick...."DJ you do not know everything and the only way to evolve is to listen to those around you sometimes then weigh the information." Does it help, sometimes. So I guess I'm trying to say to you that you should never take your child for-granted by allowing people or even yourself to tag the label of "BAD" on them. See the strengths in your child, dig for the creative concepts, help that child to develop critical thinking skills, and most importantly be careful what you call he or she.....as in this boy is bad or this girl is bad. Maybe just maybe you'll figure out that your child is not bad, just wise.