DEVOTION
Law and Disorder
By Dena Dyer
Guest Columnist
CBN.com
-- Oh, what a tangled web do parents weave when they
think their children are naive.
---Ogden Nash
One day when my son Jordan was four, just as I was pondering
the challenges of parenting in the new millennium, he deliberately
disobeyed me. Frustrated, I grabbed him, placed him on my knee
and raised my hand to give him a swat. Suddenly, he looked up
at me and said, "I smell a lawsuit!"
Okay, I thought, political correctness has just gone way too
far.
Actually, he never said that. But if he had, maybe he wouldn't
have been too far off using legal-ese in a discipline debate.
In fact, after thinking it through, I realized that frazzled moms
frequently use law terms—or, at least, strategies of law--in
parenting. (Finally, all those hours spent viewing Law and
Order are paying off!)
Here are a few examples that we "legal eagle moms"
often employ:
Opening arguments—"Wouldn't it be fun to
clean up your room?" we kindly ask our charges. "Let's
make it into a game—with candy prizes."
Discovery—"What is that green thing under
your bed--and why in the world are you eating it?"
Objection—"Don't you use that tone of voice
with me, young woman!"
See you in chambers—"If you'll stay on the
commode for five minutes, I'll sit in the bathroom with you and
read Once Upon a Potty. Again."
Plead the 5th—"Because God made it that way."
(This all-purpose answer works surprising well in a variety of
situations, at least until the kid reaches kindergarten.)
Cross-examination—"Where did you get that
tattoo?" and "Who will be at the party?" for teens;
"Why are you licking the carpet?" and "Where's
the gerbil?" for younger tykes.
Leading the witness—"Don't you want a delicious
green bean?" we ask our little loves, who have ingested exactly
four bites of veggies in their life (sorry—French fries
don't count!). My hubby—who cooks veggies in bacon grease
just to get our son to taste them—sometimes adds, "They
have good flavor on them."
Motion to Suppress—The lightening-fast hand movement
we make to cover our wee one's mouth when we're out in public
and he/she yells, "Mommy, why is that lady so fat?"
Negotiating a settlement—"If you are really
good in the store, I'll buy you a kids' meal from Burger King
on the way home."
Plea bargaining—"If you go to bed right now,
without fussing, you can play with sharp things all day tomorrow."
And, finally, we come to the end of our struggle. It's ten o'clock,
they've worn us down, and we decide to use the mother of all defenses:
Closing arguments—"Because I said so. And
I'm the grownup. Nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah."
I'm sure glad God isn't as petty as I am in his parental dealings
with this disobedient child. When I try his patience, He is always
fair, doling out just the right balance of justice and mercy.
He never, ever says, "Nyah-nyah-nyah-nyah."
And He doesn't even make me eat green beans.
I'll take Him as my legal counsel any day.
Notes from the Coach:
Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way
to live and the duties they are to perform.
Exodus 18:20, NIV
There must be Someone in heaven who knows the truth about
me, in highest heaven, some Attorney who can clear my name
. . .
Job 16:19, MSG
Generous in love--God, give grace!
Huge in mercy--wipe out my bad record.
Psalm 51:1, MSG
When justice is done, it brings joy to the righteous but terror
to evildoers.
Proverbs 21:15, NIV
Excerpted from Grace
for the Race: Meditations for Busy Moms, Copyright ©
2004, by Dena J. Dyer. Used by permission.
Dena Dyer
is wife to Carey and mother to their two boys, Jordan
and Jackson. Her other roles include professional actress and
singer, women's speaker, and author. Dena has written for Woman's
World, Today's Christian Woman, Writer's Digest, Christian Reader,
and Discipleship Journal.
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