Necklaces On Our Teeth?

Have you ever felt misunderstood or jumped to conclusions only to find out later that you were wrong?  Communication can be great when done well, but sometimes communication can breakdown.  When this happens, people say what they do not mean and hear what was not meant to be said.  There is no better example of this than in the lives of children.  Recently on the way to a dentist appointment, my six-year-old son said to his little sister, “Sometimes the dentist puts necklaces on your teeth!”  Confused and not even sure how to respond to such a statement, it was a blessing to quickly hear my oldest son pipe in, “No guys, they’re called braces, not bracelets, and you only get those if you need them when you are older.”  You see, my younger son heard about someone getting braces, confused that with a bracelet, then mixed that up with a necklace. Whew!  That was a life-saver for us that the oldest not only understood the confusion, but also corrected both the statement and the concept for the younger kids. Another famous example of this is when the kindergartner said to his class, “My grandpa used to work for General Motors.  Now he’s retarded!”  The wise teacher softly corrected him and said, “I think you mean retired.”  While these examples from children are cute and we can easily see where the confusion comes in, are we adults that much different?  I mean how many different church denominations are there?  Has anyone ever stopped to ask why churches continue to split and start new?  Also, why do so many families have strife around the holidays or at family gatherings?  These questions are not always easily answered, but one fact remains: We all just want to be loved! As we read in the New Testament, Peter tells us, “Finally, all of you, be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble.” (1 Peter 3:8)  Jesus went a step further in John 13:34 and tells us to love one another as He loved us!  Remember, He loved us so much He died for us!  As we spend times with loved ones this year, let’s be mindful of these passages and sometimes give the communicator the benefit of the doubt.  We are called not only to love each other, but also to be like-minded, sympathetic, compassionate, and humble while doing it!  My wife and I are so thankful for Oakland Christian School.  As alumni ourselves, we find it a great honor to send our children back there to learn these kinds of life lessons in the classroom.  The spiritual guidance and the wise counsel at their young ages is absolutely priceless to us. Praise God for the blessing of Oakland Christian School, for the sacrifice of the staff, that of the parents, and the changed lives of our children!