A few months back in my post The Neon Flamingo Light of Grace, I happened to mention that my 13-year-old son Matthew had purchased with his own money a pretty expensive T-rated X-Box game titled (I think) “American Army.”
He did so after consulting with me, and listening to the reasons why I don’t approve of such games, and exercising the option I gave him to buy it anyway. He was wise to play it in his room only, where his younger sister Laura wouldn’t be affected by it. (And in that previous post, he redeemed my opinion of his choices by buying a Neon Flamingo Light of Grace for her after I had taught an exceedingly tough and somewhat cruel lesson in thrift to her.)
Well, the 10-year-old sister he loves to taunt is in camp this week … and the pool where we have our membership is closed due to rain … and was closed yesterday because it was Monday … and he was sounding pretty bored when I met him for lunch.
So I took him to Game X-Change so that he could look over the selection. He had brought a couple of his games with him to see if he could trade them, and as we approached the counter he showed me the one he had carried underneath the outdated race-driving game case. Sure enough, it was “American Army.”
He traded them in for a newer race-driving game.
And the Neon Flamingo Light of Grace?
It’s in his room now.
Laura gave it back to him as an apology for taunting him beyond his patience … because she knew he liked it.
I am so proud of my kids.
Blog In My Own Eye 
ahhh that’s a great story to share. Keith you should be proud of them! I know that you tell them. Good stuff.
It’s hard as a parent, but some times the way they learn best is to make the choice we advised against and then let them realize why we didn’t approve. I mean isn’t that the way God treats us as a Father in some cases?You sound like a great dad–with wonderful kids!
Yep, the hardest thing is to back off and let them make bad choices occassionally. Then when they make good choices….we beam!
This is, IMO, the eptiome of what the Holy Spirit meant when He guided Paul’s hand to write:Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. –Ephesians 6:4Perhaps, if we had the ability to hear heaven’s converstions, we might hear God say something like:Now, that’s what I’m talking about!God bless you, dear brother!