Sometimes I have to go into ‘timeout’, so that I can calm down and get myself together.
Even though I’m a grown man with kids, I still have my tendencies of ‘tunnel visioned’ passion. (see Hard Heads)
As a child, I used to get so ‘caught up’ in whatever it was I was doing, that I lost sight of other things going on around me. This usually manifested itself in my MULTIPLE occasions of knocking over furniture, plantery and even a broken window (or two).
My mom had this one potted plant that I must’ve knocked over a dozen times (if you include the times I did it when my parents weren’t around). What made it so bad, it was in our den and we had this thick shag rug carpet. So when all that potted soil got into the carpet, you couldn’t sweep it up, you had to get the vacuum cleaner.
I mustve got my az whupped over that plant at least 3 or 4 times.
It just got to the point where my mom wasn’t trying to hear anymore ‘It was an accident’
You knocked this plant over AGAIN!!!????
Momma..I wasn’t trying to.
I don’t want to HEAR THAT!! I done told you at least 3 TIMES to stop running through this house like you ain’t go no sense!!! Now you done knocked over my plant..AGAIN!!! I’m tired of talking to you…
At that point, she was usually in a huff and spitting mad and headed toward the closet to get one of my dad’s leather belts..usually the black one. She never heat me with the buckle tho, only the strap.
Thanks be to go, I was HEALED and DELIVERED!!
Nowadays, if parents put a belt on their child’s behind, they’re liable to ‘catch a case’ and have them white folks in their life. Child Protection Services have helped a lot of families, but they’ve also hurt a few too. On both sides of the coin: Neglect of sheltering a child truly in harm or danger’s way AND over-reacting to a situation that ultimately ended up damaging the relationship between child and guardian.
I don’t want to see any child hurt or abused, but at the same time, I know I was one of those hard headed little boys that needed physical reprimand to garner my full attention.
I read stories about those 4 sisters in Washington D.C. that were found in a decomposed state and I almost start pacing the floor sometimes. I still get crunk over stuff like that. Another reason of why I cling as close to Christ as I possibly can..I need to lean on Him a lot. Or else I would have ‘flipped out’ a LOONG time ago.
Quite the contrary of my Michael Corleone, Godfather admiration, I would have never been the Don, cuz I could have never killed my brother Fredo.
And when I see instances of gross neglect and blatant evil such as this, I am reminded and re-affirmed that there are spiritual powers in high places working hard every day to spread evil and hate into this world.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
I’m very much aware of this battle that is raging.
I believe in education, living a healthy lifestyle (diet, exercise) and taking care of your families. Working hard at whatever it is you do. Giving your best.
As many ills of society that there are to fight against: child abuse, domestic abuse, drug addiction, alcoholism, greed, strife, poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy..all that stuff and more is going down in full effect in 2008.
Some people ask, “Is it REALLY getting bad or has it been this way all the time and it’s just getting publicized more now?”
I dunno..all I know is that there’s much work to do and when our book is closed, the question we have to ask ourselves is if He is going to say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. (Matt 25:21,23)” Or is He going to say, “Depart from me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you.(Matt 7:23)”??
