A thought with many branches

As it gets closer to the exams, I am now beginning to worry that I do not seem to be feeling any sense of strain or build up to the exam which worries me even more. In the sense that a guy should be worried when he has four papers to do from the 21st of May to the 2nd of June with 3 hours and four questions for each paper. And the fact is…more than half usually fail these intermediate exams. Although the interesting thing is…I don’t know…maybe it’s the peace of God.

I have been praying about the exams…maybe it’s His way of telling me not to worry but just to do my best.

Have you ever wondered what geniuses feel like being who they are? I mean prodigies and the like. I mean, let us just say you…you are painting and you are 6. You put in what you like, splash some bits here and there and remembered that cartoon you saw last Saturday and you really liked the cute little things in the show. So you go ahead and draw, try for a few simple circles with the crayon and dab a little here and there. You leave for a glass of water, asking if your dad can help you reach it when you hear your mom screaming from the living room.

Your dad disappears in a flash, leaving you to try to turn the tap off the water cooler before the water drips of the sides of the table and you get scolded like last week for trying to wash your hands like that. You manage to turn it off, gently pull the cup and as some of the wobbling water spills onto the table you see your parents hovering beside you and it looks like they just saw a ghost.

Your dad’s mouth wobbles and goes, “Did…hun…honey…dear…did you…erm…draw this…?’

Wondering if painting is also a sin (You just finished up last year’s Christmas paint. The expensive one you requested for), you stare at both of them and your brain goes into max mode, trying its best to work some lie into the correct angle.

“Don’t worry sweetie,” Your mum smiles a little. A little insincere, you think. “We just want to know.”

Your brain tries truth. “Erm…yep…mummy…I’m sorry I finished the paint…’ A little tear rolls down your apple cheeks which no one seems able to keep their hands off. Mummy quickly bends down and hugs you. You can still smell the sweet shampoo in her hair, the one you tried to pour down the toilet bowl last month. “Oh sweety. We just want you to know that it’s…it’s…great…amazing…”

Left trying to figure out the word ‘amazing’, your mum stands up and you don’t hear your mum asking your dad if they should contact the local art gallery.

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Yup. And so that little girl’s life is changed for ever and she becomes the world’s youngest Picasso painter. But have you ever wondered how they feel? When reporter’s storm this little girl’s room to get a glimpse of her latest work before the rest of the world does or when they interview her and ask her how she does it she wonders “Why in the world is everyone so interested in something I don’t see as extraordinary. I don’t even put extra effort into it. Everyone should be able to do it. Right…?’

But no… sadly the world pounces on them as if they were some alien specimen to be studied or envies them, treating them as if they were begging whenever they came to shop for bread. It’s sad that this destroy most of their lives and even sadder that there ARE many geniuses out there just unannounced. Did you know you were one of them too?

God has given each of us an amazing array of talents and each of us excel at something. Different combination of talents produce varied talents. That’s why the education system is so important. It handles thousands upon thousands of young lives, each and everyone who has the potential to excel at something. But instead, this OFFICIAL SLAVERY squishes and downsizes and kills all those who cannot excel at books.

And that is plain wrong! Why do you think America produces so much raw talent? (Not that I am saying they’ve got it all together) The fact is, they allow their students as much freedom as they please, only forcing them through the bare essentials of life. I mean take maths for example.

Why in the world would I need to know how much x in 3x+2xy=4 is when the most maths I am going to use when I leave school is how much do I get back if the item is 12.35 after tax and I paid 20?

IT DOESN’T MAKE SENSE!

Then the counter argument is always [Whiny voice] “But the children don’t know what they want to do…?”

Well they would if you let them experience the world more! Let them try reading, writing, drawing, heck even the computer! Who knows? Your child, brother, cousin, niece could be the next Bill Gates? If they fail, encourage them to the point they want to try something else!

That’s probably the other problem. Or two problems for that matter.

1) I want my child to be, inter alia (Legal term for amongst others), a lawyer, doctor, engineer, scientist

GET A LIFE! Your child can be whatever he or she wants to be without you needing to force some medicine studies down their little throats. All because of what? [Whiny voice returns] “But then…how will I show my face to other parents when I tell them my son is a toy maker?”

Who cares!? As long as they aren’t some garbage man (No offence guys and gals out there. There is still hope. You’ll never know when you may find the next 1 million dollar blank cheque(sp?) and you really are doing all of us a great favour) and making money/living life the way they want to, who are you to interfere in their lives!? If they fail, your role is to

[Climatic drum roll]

ENCOURAGE! Not to stand there and [Whiny voice] “I told you so. I told you so.” For the love of God, they are still your children. Encourage them and ask them about their work. Still don’t understand the lingo or how his/her work works, do some research and maybe you’ll be that straw on the camel’s back for some AIDS vaccine, revolutionary 7G phone technology or something like that. Let them live their own lives without you breathing down their necks. Encourage and support.

Not that I am saying you don’t encourage them towards being one of the professionals but don’t nag them towards it. They will go all out to go against you or you may ruin their lives in doing something they don’t want to do.

I know you parents are all out for us having good lives with good paying jobs but ultimately, it’s no longer the 1900s where work was hard to find and bla bla bla. The fact is we want to enjoy what we are doing now not be forced to do it because it pays good. (And if your child is one of those who loves money more than enjoyment of work, YOU, YOU mind you, have been truly blessed by the Father above)

2) My child must be good in everything so I force everything down his throat

This bubbles up as another problem. ARE YOU INSANE!? Stop forcing everything down your child’s throat. He/she has a life to live, a childhood to live. Stop trying to kill them with things they don’t want. As I said above, ENCOURAGE, but don’t push as Brett Manning says “Never push.”

And if they say, “Why didn’t you force me to finish my Grade 8 in the piano? I could have liked it…” Put this through, I did try but you hated it so it’s too bad. Of course, I would recommend only allowing them to choose when they are mature enough. I am a result of one of those push throughs and look where it got me; a blossoming relation with my piano teacher and a Grade 8 cert I can proudly show anyone (Although I cannot play any classicals for you I am sorry. Gotten rusty already but it does help a lot when I lead worship in church. Fyi, I only play four times a month, twice at church practice and twice on the two services themselves :p So sue me)

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So…there somewhat concludes my thoughts at this point. Hope you life the new layout and give me a tinkle on the Shoutbox should you feel yourself too lazy or tired to post something in comments.

In conclusion, please, parents… let your children live their lives and children, youth, guys and girls, live your life to its fullest potential. (You’ve only got one so use it all for God’s glory. If you have not given your life to Jesus Christ, do so immediately. You only have one life but Christ guarantees you an eternal one and also best choices and blessings in every choice in your current life. What better choice is there? It is either a slave to Satan who only wants to “Kill, steal and destroy” or God who gives life and blessings. The choice is simple right? There is no middle gate.

“If you are sitting there and thinking, hey I could always give my life to Christ tomorrow” then Satan’s already won. Who says you won’t die tomorrow or end up in a life-threatening coma? Or even right now, a plane crashes into your house or lightning strikes and your house catches fire?

“If you are sitting there and wondering, why do I need God for? And who says I am Satan’s slave. I ain’t no one’s slave but myself.” You are already given your life to Satan because if God doesn’t rule it, Satan will. Who is Satan then? Besides the all-known view that he is second to God, he is the sensual dance on MTV, the pornography that you subscribe to, the little voice in your head that tells you that it’s good to skip school or that little nudge that moves you to pick up your first cigarette.

Did you think Satan is this red man with horns and a funny tail with a fork? NO! He is extremely gorgeous AND if Satan were to appear before every doorstep people would immediately turn to God knowing this monster’s existence. The point is, Satan rules over your life through a quiet manipulation so you would not even realize you were his slave until it were too late. Remember it’s never too late or too early. Give your life to Jesus Christ now; just believe in your heart and talk to him like any person, say that you confess your sins and are giving your heart and life to Jesus and you will break free from Satan’s bondage of sin and death.

Jesus says in Matthew 11:29 to 30 (New International Version) “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is EASY and my burden is LIGHT.”

He doesn’t discount that he has a yoke (The thing the oxen use when they plough the fields) but that it is easy and light. Why yoke? Because in a way it amounts to ownership. You either throw your lot in with death or with life. Simple.

Sorry a little off topic here but just in case for all you God-loving people out there, God doesn’t mess up plans that aren’t good for you. He gives you talent and makes sure that you love that talent. He will never give you talent that you will hate using.)

But…back to our original topic.

Parents please…guide your children, encourage them, be beside them to help them through the tough pitches in life, love them to bits because no one else human may, and be there for them and always have an interest in their lives but ultimately allow them freedom because the first person who can ruin their lives is themselves

but that second person

is you…