Who can understand it?

From an experience lately, I took a second look at my children. I looked at them and loved them because they most of the time show me respect. They listen most of the time when I speak. They love their mother and father, and their siblings. They have just met some new friends who astounded me with their behavior and attitude towards their parents and any sort of rule. Now, I must add that these are the type of children that spend more of their time in front of a television (and yes, they have full cable channels in their bedrooms on their own televisions) than in any other way. They did not seem to understand when my children suggested imaginative play, and hadn't heard of the books my children are so interested in reenacting when they play. In fact, there weren't books in their household that I noticed. Unless you count the self help manuals laying around with the stacks of DVDs.

Lord, have mercy. I'm saddened at the disrespect they showed their parents. The children were the rulers of the household, by tantrums, demands, and know-it-all remarks that it makes me cringe to hear from a child. Why would you want your children that spending more time trying to manipulate you then they spend being children? What a miserable existance. By "being children" I mean playing, reading, dressing up, and most important: sitting quietly and listening, learning. My daughter is loud by nature, and too inquisitive to control herself at times, but for the most part she understands she is a child, and does not masquerade as Caesar. We've had countless instances where our children act like kids and overstep their bounds, but they meet swift correction. We're not the best parents, not the smartest parents all the time. But by and large, we're a happy family and enjoy being together. I couldn't stand my children if we had allowed them to let their sin nature run away with them. Children need guidance and they require a lot of one on one time. It's exhausting, it's frustrating, it gets old--but there is joy when they choose right. When they do not speak ill of their mother to friends. When they stop and consider right and wrong before they act.

I don't know what is happening that children are being raised in such a way. Have children become another thing that keeps adults from their busy fast paced lives? Put it in its room with the television on and go have your time? Stuff them with fast food and send them off to fight it out in the bedroom? How will they learn how to be good people, strong people, people that I would like to see raising the next generation?

Children are not a commoditity. They're not something cute to have around. They are sons and daughters of God, they are human and difficult. Children are also blessings given to us by the Most High. Why would anyone want to squander that?