Ever heard a person claim, "My kid'll never do that?" Usually it's somebody who either doesn't have kids or is still holding a tiny baby who hasn't experienced freedom yet. Until you're the parent of high-energy, impulsive munchkins you never know what they'll do. Often parents get discouraged because their children misbehave. Although we do our best in discipline there will be days when we wonder if we do any good at all. In the long haul of parenting remember that even God – the only perfect parent – has children who act up. Someone shared this with me and I want to pass it along to you as humorous comfort.

After creating heaven and earth, the First Parent made Adam and Eve. And one of the first rules He said to them was, "Don't."

"Don't what?" asked Adam.

"Don't eat the forbidden fruit," God replied.

"Forbidden fruit? We got forbidden fruit? Hey, Eve...we got forbidden fruit!"

"No way!"

"Way!"

"Don't eat that fruit!" repeated God.

"Why?"

"Cause I'm your Father and I say so!" God reminded (wondering why He hadn't stopped after making hyenas). Later God saw his kids having an apple break and, disappointed with them, He got angry.

"Didn't I tell you two not to eat that fruit?" the Heavenly Father asked.

"What fruit?" asked Adam, looking dumfounded.

"That fruit!"

"I dunno" Eve inserted.

"She started it!" Adam charged.

"Did not!" denied Eve.

"Did too!!"

"DID NOT!!!"

Having had it with the two of them, God decided on an appropriate consequence - Adam and Eve will have children of their own. Thus the conclusion was made and never changed.

The reassurance to this story is - If you lovingly and persistently try to give your kids guidance and they refuse it; don't be too hard on yourself. Even the Perfect Parent had (has) trouble with His offspring. Why do you expect perfection. . . from yourself or your children?

Copyright © 2000 Revised 2003 Brenda Nixon. All rights reserved worldwide.