What a great week to talk about parents
I guess I was on standby watcing the news & even praying that this kid was okay. But I was more relieved to find out that it was a hoax and that the kid was safe than feeling stupid that I’d been duped.
But a lot of people are taking it very seriously. As a matter of fact, I think the firestorm of media coverage is higher and hotter right now than if something tragic had happened.
So here we are with a conversation raging and a great opportunity to talk to our students about parents.
We all have (or had) parents and that means there were times of profound anger and disappointment. Most of that happens during the teen years. Teens have awakened to the fact that their parents aren’t perfect (though some pretend to be). And these flawed human beings are still having a say-so and strong influence over their life, and they hate it!
Maybe you could dig out a teaching or a small group lesson on this topic. I think you might be surprised, hurt, and shocked about how much your kids have NOT been talking about this before. Here are some questions I’m thinking:
- As you’ve gotten older, have your parents lost any credibility with you? How?
- As you’ve gotten older, have your parents gained credibility with you? How?
- Is there a frustration or disappointment that you’re struggling to get over?
- Is there anything that’s expected of you or that you’re told that you could easily say, “Well what about you? Why don’t you practice what you’re telling me to do?
- Do you discuss your disappointments & frustrations with your parents? Why or why not?
- Is there anything that you do – it doesn’t even have to be that big of a thing – but is there anything that you do that’s kind of a rebellion because of where you seeing your parents falling short?
- Is there a way that your parents could regain credibility?
- Do you think your parents really have the same high standards for you that you do of them?
- Do you realize that honoring, loving despite, and forgiving are not giving them approval for what they’ve done, but that is a means of receiving peace & grace from God so that you can be healed?
