I used to be an Executive Assistant in a Fortune 500 company that almost every American is familiar with. Because the company is publicly traded, my boss’s name, salary, and bonuses were public knowledge. This made him fair game for anyone who had a service or sales pitch they felt sure he needed to hear.
One of the sweetest times I spent with my children was at the end of the day when I put them to bed. If they hadn’t completely exhausted themselves, I used that time to listen to their viewpoint of the day. I especially loved to ask them to share three things they were thankful for. They would have gladly shared more than three, but I had to put a limit on it or they’d talk till dawn.
When my children went through the stage of worrying that I would die, I could totally relate. I’d been worried about departing much too soon from the moment I laid eyes on them.
As the first example of authority my children experience, I want to prepare them for other legitimate authority figures—teachers, law enforcement, employers, government officials, etc.—to whom they will answer when not under my influence or protection. My children must understand authority and their shared responsibility, so they can live in peace and safety.
When it comes to love, every human heart has the desire to be known, appreciated, valued. Yet it is becoming standard practice to be physically intimate before knowing who we can trust with our hearts. We grant access to the most intimate parts of our bodies, not realizing the heart longs for a much deeper intimacy.
People are pretty much the same. While there are obvious physical or ethnic differences and various preferences, every human heart is—without exception—in search of something or someone who will convince us that we are valued.
Hateful remarks from peers and even strangers can sting. A loved one’s well-meaning comments disguised as “help” cut deeply. “You’d want me to tell you the truth, right?” they say.
As each of our boys turned three, my husband would take them on the first of many hunting experiences. In the first couple of years he focused on teaching them to be still, what they were looking/listening for, and how to safely handle a single projectile weapon, a new BB gun.
