1st Chronicles 3:1. "Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron; the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigal the Carmelitess:" A FAMILY. What part does love play? Do the children kind of sense Their position in the order of things – the cause and effect? Are personalities genetic or are they unseen developed? Can they feel some kind of neglect when young? Or know they are by love enveloped?
I guess there are a lot of things that affect the outcome of our lives. A gentle touch often – or a feeling of abandonment Each person in a family may respond differently To the same act and the same words – each is taken independently.
What can be done by a father to make things be as they should? Is the recreational time spent, the key – is it the fun? Or is the insistence on work to be performed – something accomplished – Opportunities arranged for - meaningful labor – is that how a family is established?
One would think a man after God’s own heart would know the answers But it was a choice he had to make, the same as I do – To determine the amount of time allotted for leisure – One has to consider what is the ultimate source of pleasure.
I have considered, but I may be seriously wrong – That what is significant to me – pleasure and meaning in work Should be the same to my family, and so for serious labor I insisted. I hope and pray that it was not wrong that I in this course persisted.
My thoughts were that offspring would learn from parents What was right, what was wrong, what was necessary or not Would be learned by a form of modeling – discipline that was caught And that pleasure and recreation alone ultimately was for naught.
I wonder now, as probably David did, if I started over – life to live – If I would do it differently, could God my labor bless? Would my family be different – would I want them to be more like me? Have I failed them in various ways? I guess I’ll just wait and see!
“O God of all grace, sometimes when reading scriptures like these I wonder if my family wants to be as different from me as possible. I wanted to be like my parents. I don’t think my daughters and their families want to be like me. If I have failed Thee, and them, in family life Father, I am truly sorry. I just don’t know what else to do. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.”