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Discovering Your Child

 

Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

 

“For years I poked and prodded my oldest son, to get higher grades. I was always a little disappointed in him because he never quite measured up to my standard of excellence. One day, when he was a senior in High School, we were invited to an awards assembly. Clearly he was going to be awarded for something, but I couldn’t imagine what. Had they invited us just to fill seats? I thought we would have to be there and see every student marching up the aisle, getting applause, while my son sat in the back of the room. Why didn’t he try harder? My attitude grew steadily worse. Then the principal came to the microphone and announced: ‘For the first time, I am presenting a special award to a young man who has been so exceptional that we could not overlook his accomplishments!’ He called my son to the front, then spent several minutes describing my son’s fine character, kindness toward others, trustworthiness, and quiet leadership. ‘We’ve never had a student like him in our school, he said, ‘and there may never be another.’ We are giving you, young man, the first and possibly last Principal’s Cup Award for integrity, diligence and decency. Thank you for what you brought to our school. No one who has really gotten to know you will ever be the same again.’ 

 

In that moment I realized he was talking to me. I had never really gotten to know my son, much less appreciate him for who he is. And I knew that once I did---his father---would never be the same.

 

Author Unknown