4

Children’s Mistakes

Are Their Opportunities

How much    better  to  get wisdom  than    gold!

To  get understanding   is

to  be  chosen  rather  than    silver.

Proverbs    16:16

Doug and Sara had a big problem with ten-year-old Austin. Everything

they told Austin to do, he did. Whether it was chores, studying hard,
getting along with others, or showing respect for adults and teachers,
Austin came through flawlessly. Austin got up on his own every day. He
always stacked his school stuff neatly by the door before strolling to
breakfast, and he always gave himself enough time to enjoy his meal at a
leisurely pace. He never walked out without his lunch, assignments, gym
clothes, permission slips, or anything else. He consistently reached the
bus stop five minutes early. He rarely got into trouble at school. His
teachers liked him; he had lots of friends. When he hopped off the bus in
the afternoon, he jumped right into his chores and his homework without
being told. At the first evening yawn, he decided to turn in for the night
— often a good half hour before required. One Saturday morning, the kid
cleaned out the garage before Doug and Sara even got out of bed!
Some parents would kill for such “problems” with their kids. But Doug