“Experts inform
us that overpopulation is destroying the earth.
I disagree: greed and selfishness
are ruining the planet, not children.
They are born givers, not takers” (1).
Although I
disagree with Johann Christoph Arnold’s portrayal of children as born innocent,
his book, Their Name is Today, is a
clarion call to a world that considers children a burden or a nuisance.
King David’s
son, Solomon, wrote, “Behold, children
are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the
children of one's youth. Blessed is the
man who fills his quiver with them! He
shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate” (Psalm
127:3-5, ESV).
Through quotes,
reflections, and anecdotes, Arnold shows the value of children and responsibility
of the adult world to raise them and to benefit from them, as they benefit from
us.
Some that stood
out to me:
Children must
not be told or allowed to feel that they are a burden – they are a gift from
God – and they ought to be told so (10).
Children learn
through play and through following after those things which are of interest to
them. Exposure to variety is good, but a
college style of curricula might be more advantageous to children (15).
The grading
system can kill brilliant and creative minds (29).
Creativity – and
not screen time (necessarily) – is to be encouraged: “How curious will children be, how mentally
agile, creative, and persistent in seeking answers to their questions, if, from
a young age, they learn to Google it first, and ask questions later (or not at
all)?” (51).
Love
is the most important thing we give our children (71).
Discipline and
forgiveness are intertwined: “It also
taught me a lesson I have never forgotten – one I drew on in dealing with my
own children years later: don’t be
afraid to discipline a child, but the moment you feel he is sorry, be sure
there is immediate and complete forgiveness on your part” (93).
And if you have
been gifted difficult children in whatever sense that takes spend the time to
find the way that they can best be reached and become the men and women they were
born to be (109).
Parenting is a high
and difficult call, and if our children are going to know that they bear the
Image of God (129) and were given life for more than just being right on a
standardized exam, we must work hard with them to find what they have been
given and may develop to be.
Forget the
manuals. Consider the creative genius of
life. Maximize your joy in the joy of
your children.
[This review appears on my blog
and at Amazon.com. I received a copy of
this book free from Handlebar Publishing and Plough Publishing House in exchange
for the review.]
#ThereNameIsToday
http://smile.amazon.com/Their-Name-Today-Reclaiming-Childhood/dp/0874866308/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421964363&sr=8-1&keywords=their+name+is+today
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