(^)
(^)
Chapter 19
Teenagers: Training Procedures
I went to a weekend retreat on raising teenagers. My children were
almost teens, so I hoped to learn how to prepare for what was to
come. The man was a good speaker. He was witty. His presentation
was lavishly illustrated by numerous anecdotes drawn from his own
experience.
(^) But the retreat left me unsettled. All the stories seemed to be
about this father’s and his son’s attempts to outwit each other. Their
relationship resembled a friendly version of MAD Magazine’s “Spy
vs. Spy.”
(^) I remember thinking that if keeping my children in line depended
on me outwitting them, I might fail. I am now persuaded that raising
teenagers is not a matter of out-maneuvering them. It is much more
exciting and satisfying than that.
Internalization of the Gospel
(^) Internalization of the gospel is the process of your children
embracing the things of God as their own living faith. Your wish
during this period is to see your children develop autonomous
identities as persons under God.
(^) It is obvious that internalizing the gospel requires the work of the
Holy Spirit in the child. No parent can do that work; nor can you
produce it through your labors. You labor, however, in the hope that
God honors his covenant and works through means. While you dare
not presume upon his sovereign mercy, you may labor with
barré
(Barré)
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