Legacy

As a pastor, I cannot count the times that I have received a call or been stopped in church by someone in desperation over the emotional loss of a child. It almost seems sometimes that physical death would be easier than the daily agony of dealing with a relationship that is a bi-product of years of neglect, selfishness, immaturity, and indifference. Let me illustrate from the words of a teenager who had already given up on life because of broken parental relationships. "If only I could have met you in junior high school, my life would have been so different, but for me, it is too late."Those words, echoed by a a 19 year old named John, haunted me for months. He had grown up in a home with four different fathers, none of which had been role models when he needed them most. . He had repeatedly watched his mother beaten and, at times, feared for his own life. The scars were deep and the pain overwhelming, both of which governed his emotions and thinking. Rejecting my offer for a fresh start, he declined stating that the thought of future happiness seemed too impossible to grasp.

Maybe your story is not this extreme. But if raising your son or daughter has become a battle of wills, where values collide, I have some good news for you! It is never too late to build a healthy relationship with your son or daughter. At child birth, you weren't given a "how to" manual on child rearing, nor a crash course on building a happy home. This spiritual journal can help you start your journey, make mid-course correction , or even start over again. If you are willing to adjust some thinking patterns and invest the time needed, you can raise young people that will eventually adopt your values. I want to share with you simple principles, that when applied, will produce healthy parent-child relationships which will turn your child rearing years into a joy filled adventure rather than your home into a continual war zone where both sides are counting down to that magical age of 18 and the parting of ways.