I want to talk to teenagers about how to care for your parents.
Understand us.
We were not trained when you came. We had never been this way before. We had no precedent. We have tried to be what you need. We have loved you from the moment that we heard you were coming. You will never know until you are a parent yourself what a joy you have brought to our life. You will never know the dreams, the prayers and the ambitions that we have for you to be what God wants you to be.
You need to understand how difficult it is when we begin to lose you.
In just a few more years you will be gone and we will stay. Suppose for a moment if we left you and you stayed. You know how it would hurt your heart. Now we are prepared for the fact that someday you will leave. This is God’s will and it is our desire. But while you stay, flatter us some. Be kind to us. There used to be things you wanted to do with us and places you used to want to go. And it is a great shock to us when you become a teenager and begin to build your life around others. We accept that, but we did not know what was happening. We did not know that it was normal. Take time now to seek our counsel. Girls, come and sit in Daddy’s lap and boys, embrace your mom. Brag on your parents, especially on their good qualities.
If the parents ask you to do something, try real hard to do it.
You may have something else planned, but call your boyfriend or girlfriend and break your plans and spend some time with your parents. Some day you will be grown and you will be separated from them. The only things you will have are the precious memories of the time you spent together and the fellowship you shared and the things you did. Be sure that those memories are pleasant ones. They can only be so if you build them into your life while you are passing this way. You’ll never pass this way again either.
Make us proud of you.
You see we like to show you off. So try to dress appropriately when we do so. Do you remember the time that you introduced us to your girlfriend or boyfriend? Do you remember the time that you saw us walk down the hallways of the school or walk into the ballgame? You would not want us to embarrass you. Well, there are times when we too are nervous because we want our friends to like you.
Don’t be secluded at home.
We know that you like your privacy and we try to understand that. But you see. Just yesterday you rode the horsey on our knee. Yesterday, you cried out to go to the park or to swing in the backyard. Yesterday you were our lives and now Dad sits alone wondering why you want to be locked up in your room and mom is frustrated and wonders if she has body odor or halitosis. Spend some time with us.
Girls, be to your dad what you want to be to your husband.
Remember that you are in training. This is your internship. Play house with him. Listen to his conversation as if you were listening to your husband. Make him your hero it will boost his ego. Help him to become a man for God. Practice obeying him so you can learn to be an obedient and submissive wife. Boys are to your mom what you want to be to your wife later. Protect her, practice on her, flatter her, be affectionate to her and then you will be able someday to transfer those qualities from your mom to your wife and be a better husband.
Forgive us when we do wrong.
You know that we are all sinners. We all come short of the glory of God. There is no such thing as a perfect parent. But I, hope that you accept us as God’s plan for your 1ife to lead you to become what God wants you to be.
Remember that God says. “You will reap whatever you sow” (Galatians 6:7-8).
Your children and teenagers will someday treat you the same way you treat us. Be sure you want to receive in your own life what you are giving out. In a few years all we will have is a picture on the mantle and a house full of memories. Our happiness will depend upon the memories that we are storing up now. Please be patient with us. Try to be the son or daughter you will want your child to be. Because they will be!
