The fruit of the Spirit is something I didn't ask for, nor would I want it at this point of time. Nope, all I want is to assert my rights and have a little bit of my privacy back. I mean, I am not asking for much, I only want to be able to sleep my 7 hours each night; and even that is being abruptly cut short by my 5-year-old niece's screaming and yelling every single morning at 7am.
So who cares that I write and work late and sleep at 3am? I still get woken up at 7am, and would still have to resume my 12-hour workday on my feet most of the time. People who suffer from sleepiness causes road accidents, if that makes the news at all these days. More importantly - lack of sleep aggravates my arm pain.
So for the past 2 years, I kept silent with the screaming. I did bring up the matter with my brother and sis-in-law (the parents) several times and they basically did next-to-nothing. Never disciplined their kid. In fact, the kid commands them around.
Today, the screaming continued. I had enough. Went to talk to my bro and gave him three options:
1. Soundproof the room
2. Carry his daughter downstairs where her piercing voice is outta earshot.
3. Allow me to discipline his kid.
He was reluctant to perform any of the above.
I told him I would have to move out if the condition persist. At that point his kid came down (what else!) crying. Her dad and mom told her to be quiet but to no avail. I took out a cane and told her sternly that if she continues to be disobedient to her parents I would personally see that she gets licked by the rod. She bawled even louder and ran to her mom, who promptly rescued, cradled and pacified her. The bawling intensified. Tragic.
In the mid-morning I had cooled down considerably to send text messages to my bro and sis-in-law to apologise for over-riding their authority earlier. They expressed no intention to discipline their kid (anyways, why start now, since they had never done that before??)
I fear.
I know my bro's family is just a small representation of believing families caught in an endless cycle of parents working long hours, grappling for time, mothers spending hours away from their children, buying expensive toys to substitute their presence.
I fear.
Through permissive parenting we raise up a godless generation who thinks they are "saved from damnation" yet have little regard for moral values. Because their parents did not think it was important. Because a good academic education is preferred. Because "healthy emotional growth" is more... pressing.
I fear.
Fathers losing their authority because they had never practised their God-given role. Children disobedient and downright treating authority with disdain -a generation the Bible mentions will be prevalent in the last days.
But I cannot change things. Except pray.
Sigh, and so I live, one day after the next, screamings and all.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
(Galations 5:22)
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