Mama.…
Papa…..
Mama’s face is lost in her screen.
Papa’s hands grip his device.
Yet, I cry,
“See me.
Talk to me.”
Mama,
I need you.
Will you hold me?
Can I rest in the safety of your arms?
The world is cold.
Papa,
Which way?
Here or there?
Will you show me?
Silence…………
“Hello, little one.”
“Yes?”
“Come…”
Silence…………
Toodle?
Where are you?
Mama looks up.
Eyes darting.
Hands searching.
Heart racing.
But her little one,
is long gone.
Mamas, see your sons.
Papas, embrace your daughters.
For another is watching.
Waiting.
A little gap-
and he will swoop in.
Children don’t always shout they need us, many times they often call out gently, “Mama” or sometimes go silent….unreachable.
In many cases, when we finally notice, it’s not because they called, but because they’re missing emotionally, missing in their heart or even worse, missing physically.
It starts small:
“Hold on, I’m coming…”
“Just five more minutes…”
“I’m busy now, later…”
Dear Parent
Later can very easily become never. Distance creeps in and the enemy finds a foothold.
Scripture says: “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) He’s not just devouring adults. He’s after children. He’s after their identity, innocence, and intimacy and knowledge of God.
We are called to watch, to see our children and to train them up actively and with love. Proverbs 22:6 says, Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” This doesn’t happen automatically. Training requires intentionality, spiritual sensitivity, and a lot of love in action, not just love in theory.
More than toys, good school, our children need our presence, our voice, discipleship and protection from the world.
Dear parents, don’t be more emotionally available to strangers online than to your children we birthed.
