“Why should I help her – I don’t even like her!” Those poisonous words were said by one remarkably unaware parent to the other parent in front of a three or four-year-old child, while the child was having difficulty emptying her tray into the container as they were leaving the restaurant. It was very apparent that the two parents were at odds, and cared little who was observing their behavior, even their child. It was almost as if I could see a sword penetrating deep into the spirit of that little girl.

My food became less appealing as I pondered the plight of that little girl. It appeared as if this kind of comment was nothing new to all of them, so those kind of hurtful words and actions will probably continue for the next twelve or thirteen years. As the girl becomes stronger, more wounded, and more frustrated, her responses will become stronger, so separation upon separation will ensue until her rebellion and anger will cause her to leave. She will go about the business of inflicting the things she has been taught on others.

After much prayer and thought about the situation, I had to set aside my anger toward the parents to see what the Lord was telling my heart. This allowed my focus to change. He showed me that the parents were only doing what they had been taught to do by their parents, who learned from theirs, and so on. There are probably generations of wounded, unaware people dripping from the wounds they have received and have inflicted on each other in that family tree. This little girl's life will eventually be a breeding ground for the same kind of careless words and actions that she is receiving, unless the Lord intervenes in the lives of her or her parents.

If you are a parent, guard your words and your actions toward your children. Make it your life's purpose to protect their little spirits so that they can prosper in Christ. You and I have the opportunity to either provide a smooth path for their lives in Christ or have them reeling from our ignorance.

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Jim Corbett