Read the signals with your children

Wed, 17 Jan 2024

‘My children, listen as I teach you to respect the LORD.’ Psalm 34:11

Smithsonian magazine once featured a British master stonecutter named Simon Verity. He restored thirteenth-century cathedrals in Great Britain. As the authors watched him work, they noticed something fascinating. ‘Verity listens closely to hear the song of the stone under his careful blows. A solid strike and all is well. A higher-pitched ping could mean trouble. A chunk of rock could break off. He constantly adjusts the angle of the chisel and the force of the mallet to the pitch, pausing frequently to run his hand over the freshly carved surface.’ Verity understood the importance of his task. He knew one wrong move could be devastating, causing irreparable damage to his work of art. His success was rooted in his ability to read the signals his stones were sending. If you’re a parent or someone who works with children, you need to hone your skills at listening to them, especially during times of discipline and guidance. It takes a great deal of patience and sensitivity to interpret a child’s responses. But if you listen carefully, they will tell you what they’re thinking and feeling. And God will help you to do it: ‘The Lord God has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. …’(Isaiah 50:4 NKJV). Each changing season in a child’s development raises different questions, calling for different answers. To have the right answer, you must be tuned in to the question they’re asking at the time. Not only will you be imparting to them the wisdom they need at that time, you will be teaching them how to do it with their own children.