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I recently spent several  hours with an old friend. She told me about a child she knows whose mother dropped him off at a friend’s house for a couple of hours and picked him up a week later. She told me about a mother she knows who used to get drunk and stay away from home a few days. She told me about a friend who is very ill and has no one to take care of him except his ex-wife. And, these are only some of the stories she shared. My head was spinning. One person knows this many people with these kinds of problems? Whew!

I remember realizing many years ago that some people in the world just have no clue how to live. What they really need is parenting, because they missed it when they were kids. I have wondered just how Christians could parent adults who just never got it the first time around. How do you help folks who just don’t know what to do when they get up in the morning?

Now I have often felt like I didn’t know what to do when I got up in the morning, but I wasn’t deciding about whether to get boozed up this morning or whether I was going to take care of my child today. I just didn’t know whether to do the laundry first or go ahead and get started with school. I wondered whether to fix something quick for breakfast or something healthier that would take longer. I was blessed with parents who taught me how to make the most important decisions. It was the details that always tripped me up.

I am heartbroken for the people who just don’t know where to begin. Granted, some people know exactly what to do and just decide they aren’t going to do it. However, other people just never have been taught.

I’m so thankful that you are taking seriously your job as parents. Kids really do need teaching and parents really are the ones to do it. Jesus knew the power of teaching. When He saw people who were like sheep without a shepherd, He taught them.

Right now your kids are your flock of sheep and you are in the role of shepherd. Here’s a just-for-fun craft you can do with your little flock. Make a flock of sheep. It’s simple. For two sheep, you need two cotton balls and two chenille stems (we used to call them pipe cleaners). Gently stretch each cotton ball until it is about 2 1/2 inches long. Cut the pipe cleaners into thirds. Twist two pipe cleaner pieces around each cotton ball for legs. Help your children be careful, because cut pipe cleaners can be sharp.

Here’s the flock that my granddaughter Clara, her mama, and I made recently.

sheep 006

Jesus knew the power of teaching and He loved people enough to teach them. Keep up the good work and follow in His steps.

When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, 
and He felt compassion for them 
because they were like sheep without a shepherd; 
and He began to teach them many things.
Mark 6:34

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