As I See It
Parental Duty Should Not Be Taken Lightly
This has been one of those weeks that I should have refused to watch TV or read any newspapers. The news has tended to be depressing. I read of two small babies being left in a hot car alone and died from the heat. The absolute ignorant excuses given by the caregivers baffled me and I think would baffle any sane person. The mother said she left her baby in the car to go into a place of business and it took longer than she expected. Apparently it did because the baby was pronounced dead at the hospital after the police called an ambulance.
The next case I read about is just as dumb. A father (to use the word very loosely) put his baby in a carrier and buckled her up to drop the child at child care. Now listen to this. Instead of going to the child care center he went directly to work and worked all day without one time thinking about the baby in the car. Needless to say the baby was dead when found. Some people may buy into the father’s story but I will not allow myself to reach that level of “dumbness.” I am sorry, but I seriously doubt it happened that way.
In both these cases the adults who were supposed to be the caregivers had a problem. Regardless of my references to dumb I doubt if this was the cause. If indeed this is their intellectual level, I fail to see how they ever obtained a drivers license, provided they did, or how they could maintain a job. Regardless of why they did not need to be near a child.
The care of children is one of the biggest responsibilities any adult can assume. As infants these little human beings, created by God, are totally helpless and dependent on the love and care of some adults. I had a young woman tell me right after the birth of her child, “I deserve some time of my own.” My reply to her was “You should have considered this long before you allowed yourself to become pregnant.”
I reminded her that the baby did not request to be brought into this world but she and her partner surely did. I thank God every day that I came into a home where both my mother and father wanted me and it was very obvious that I was the most important thing in their lives. It grieves me that some children will never be able to say what I have just said about their parents. How truly sad and unfortunate.
Jesus has to be torn to pieces by the behavior of some parents. From reading the Gospels, you and I know that Jesus loved Children. They were attracted to Him. On one occasion children were flocking to Jesus and climbing into His lap.
The disciples rebuked the children. After all He had more to do that mess with a bunch of kids. They told the children to run along. Jesus then rebuked His disciples. He said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, because the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19:14, NIV). My strong feeling is that Jesus expects a great deal from those to whom He has entrusted a child or children. I would not want to face Jesus if I mistreated or neglected a child.
Once again thank you for reading this column.
(Billy McCord is a retired school administrator and an Elder in the United Methodist Church. He is Pastor of the Shady Grove UM Church in Calhoun County. and a member of the Calhoun County School Board. Contact him at: billymc@tycom.net)
