"I Didn't See Anything..." *wink*wink*

Please Click & Read
Proverbs 10


People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace. - vs. 10 (NLT)


According to the NLT foot note on this verse, this particular translation of this verse is taken from a Greek text rather than Hebrew.  Few translations chose to use this specific wording, which is one reason why I am glad stepped out of my box and chose to look at the NLT each week.  The moment I read this verse I was reminded of an ordeal that my daughter went through in early elementary school.

She came home one day and she wasn't quite herself.  She didn't want to play, wasn't really interested in a snack, and just kinda sat around moping.  Now for my little ball of energy and excitement these non-characteristic behaviors threw up a red flag.  Something was wrong.

The moment I asked her if she was OK, she laid it out there.  It was hard to tell exactly what had happened at first because of the quick talking mixed with loud sobbing, but eventually I pieced the story together.

Early in the day she was in line with her class moving down the hallways.  At one point she had lagged behind and ran to catch up.  Now everyone knows that you are NEVER to run in the hallways, so she knew she was in trouble as soon as she turned the corner and saw her teacher standing there.  But instead of a quick, "You know better than to run in the hall...," the teacher put on a silly face and looked away as if sarcastically saying, "I didn't see anything...did you see anything?" and down the hallway they went back to class.  No big deal.

Wrong. HUGE DEAL - to my daughter at least.  She was worried the entire rest of the day that she had done something wrong and that her teacher knew it and wasn't going to do anything about it.  She began to fear that her teacher would also be in for it for pretending and acting like it never happened. Because after all - everyone knows you NEVER run in the hall.  From that moment she was grieved not only for herself but was carrying the guilt of the fear of getting her teacher into trouble too.

Well I attempted to console her and tell her it wasn't a big deal - but that wasn't enough.  She INSISTED that she needed to apologize to her teacher for the mistake and ask for her forgiveness.  I told her that if she was going to do that then she needed to be able to explain to her why it upset her so much. Then she also insisted she needed to apologize to the school principal since, "she's the one that makes the rules, and I didn't obey them."

How amazingly humble.  

So the next morning we went to school a few minutes early so she could make amends.  Her teacher, of course, was completely shocked that what she had done had caused so much trouble by "winking" at my daughter's disobedience (funny how the woman called Foley in chapter 9 is described as, "ignorant and she does not know it...") - but I personally think SHE aught to have known better.  I'm all for having fun and being silly and friendly with your children/students - but when it comes to right and wrong, it's right or it's wrong.  How does the verse go again? "People who wink at wrong cause trouble, but a bold reproof promotes peace."  

If she had chosen the wise approach of instructing my child to righteous behavior, my child would have been at peace, rather than distraught over her own foolishness AND that of the teacher.  Carrying guilt for an entire day (especially when you're 7) is the opposite of peace and most certainly feels like trouble.

Our children need our bold reproof to be at peace.  They need to be instructed and guided into righteous behavior because there is a FINE LINE between childish behavior and foolish behavior and if we don't show our children where that line is - it won't even exist in their world and they will grow up to be fools indeed.

Lord, please let us not, "wink at wrong," and cause trouble for our children.  Let us not allow them to do wrong and write it off as "cute" or "funny."  Help us to realize what it is. It is SIN. And if we can not help them to recognize the sin in their life - how will we get them to the point of realizing their need to be free of that sin.  Forgive us when we act foolishly - help us to be wise.  Give us wisdom in abundance to pour out on our children.  Help us to be brave enough to discipline our children, to give them the, "bold reproof," they need that will, "promote peace," not only in their hearts, but in our homes as well.  

Thank you, Father.

Amen