No. 1068 - A CASE OF MISGUIDED VALUES

No. 1068

Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN

A CASE OF MISGUIDED VALUES!

Here is a question that I would like to ask you to ponder with me for a few minutes today. If you had some good friends who you felt were making some poor choices for themselves and their children, would you remain silent or say something to them about it?
I suspect most people would say, “It’s none of my business,” and just let them continue on doing what they are doing, even though the long-range consequences could be devastating. What I am talking about is not going to be popular with some people, but it is something I also feel strongly about and am willing to risk some people being upset with me
What I am talking about is the vast numbers of families in America who miss church all during the summer months to take their children to sporting events across the nation. What brought this to my mind was a comment my editor made some time back when she edited my column titled “No Excuse Sunday.” Here are her exact words: “That No Excuse Sunday column made me think of the families who miss church on Sunday because of kid’s soccer, baseball, basketball, cheer, dance, etc., tournaments. It’s amazing how many families travel with kids on the weekend to these tournaments all over the country. And it’s sad that games are scheduled on Sunday mornings.”
What really brought this topic home to me was an Associated Press article published in our local paper titled, “Frustrated retired MLB players want career help.” It says, “The baseball players union is frustrated that many of the retired members, especially minorities, can’t find jobs working for teams and has asked Major League Baseball to help launch a career preparation project. Here is the bottom line: After their playing days are over and they have made the baseball owners millions of dollars, they want to continue getting a paycheck working for the various teams in the leagues.”
You may ask, what does this have to do with parents taking their children and traveling all over the country on weekends to play in various tournaments? Simply this: It is a case of misguided values. A child or young person who is supported by their parents and spends a great part of their leisure time playing sports fails to get character training that a church can provide, and will miss reading and being involved in activities that have educational value to prepare them for their long-term future. In many cases, parents may have died or not be around, which leaves the child to grow up chasing his or her dreams, winding up with minimal employment opportunities when they fail to make the grade. Even those who do make the grade still have 40 to 50 years of life before them after their playing days are over.
What’s the solution? It’s an individual thing, and parents hold the key. In most cases, parents make the decisions about what takes place in the lives of their children on the weekends. If enough parents stick together and tell the league officials they won’t play on Sunday, there would be some changes made. Just make Saturday a priority day for this activity, but come Sunday have their children in church, where they learn spiritual and character values that will prepare them for a successful marriage, career and a long and happy life.
While I have no idea if God will honor and use what I have shared today, my prayer is that it will make a difference for many parents and their children. Our children deserve the very best.
---
(Editor’s Note: Bookcase for Every Child – Changing Lives & Futures – ONE AT A TIME. Please visit our website: www.bookcaseforeverychild.com)