Boyhood
An unknown artist painted this unknown boy around 1840. The painting is now in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution.
When we see the face of a boy, we see the seed of someone who will, by God’s grace, one day be a man. We wonder sometimes what kind of man this boy will become.
Having a son is a privilege. When we have a son, in our home is a person who deserves our attention, love, and guidance. Every day we cherish his boyhood while always in the back of our minds is the man he will be someday.
When Mother lived with us, she spent hours every night watching The Andy Griffith Show. In one episode, Sheriff Andy Taylor’s son Opie spends time with a hobo who admits to the sheriff that he sometimes bends the law to get by. Stealing is one way he “bends the law.” When Opie finds the hobo’s lifestyle tempting, Andy has a heart-to-heart with the hobo, who asks Andy who is to say that the boy would be happier living the hobo’s lifestyle or his father’s. The hobo suggests that Andy let Opie decide.
Andy responds with wisdom, telling him that it doesn’t work that way. He says that you can’t let a young person decide for himself because the young person will grab the first flashy thing he sees; and when the young person learns that the flashy thing has a hook in it, it’s too late. Andy tells him that parents must tell their children, “Wait. Trust me.” Then he adds that they must also try to keep temptations away.
Andy is right.
Listen to these words from Proverbs:
Listen, my sons, to the instruction of a father,
And pay attention so that you may gain understanding . . .
Proverbs 4:1
Look again at the face of the boy above. Imagine how tragic it would be if his father withheld instruction from him and left it up to his son to decide what is right and what is wrong.
Solomon goes on to tell his sons:
Now then, sons, listen to me,
For blessed are those who keep my ways.
Proverbs 8:32
Conversely, Solomon says:
Stop listening, my son, to discipline,
And you will stray from the words of knowledge.
Proverbs 19:27
We all need instruction. God loves us too much to leave us to our own devices. The wise parent loves his or her children enough to teach them, too, because:
There is a way which seems right to a person,
But its end is the way of death.
Even in laughter the heart may be in pain,
And the end of joy may be grief.
One with a wayward heart will have his fill of his own ways,
But a good person will be satisfied with his.
The naive believes everything,
But the sensible person considers his steps.
A wise person is cautious and turns away from evil,
But a fool is arrogant and careless.
Proverbs 14:12-16
Note: Your morning emails are about to look slightly different beginning today. The company that has managed sending them out for a few years has discontinued the service we have used so we have switched to another company. Unfortunately, the new company knows that their emails don’t handle text that is centered (isn’t that strange), so while we work on that, the verses won’t be in the center. That’s not a big deal, but I just wanted to let you know why that is happening. I am typing as I always have, but when they send the email out, it switches to the left side. Funny. The text looks as it always has on my website (charlenenotgrass.com).