Every parent, grandparent, and baby-sitter has looked at a sleeping baby and declared, “What a perfect angel!” And babies are angels; so are little kids. It may be difficult for us to see them as angels when they aren’t acting like angels. But when we see them sleeping we are reminded that these sometimes difficult kids are in reality angels. It humbles us!
In both the Old and the New Testaments God uses angels as messengers. When Abraham was about to slay his son Isaac, an angel appeared with a message from God that saved Isaac’s life. Archangel Gabriel brought the message to Mary that God wanted her to bear his son. A son she would call Emmanuel – Jesus. There are many more accounts of God’s messengers, called angels, bringing instructions or lessons to men and women. And I think God still uses angels as messengers; he sends them to us as infants who grow into children and become teenagers. Yes, even teenagers are angels, not in the classic theological sense, but I have found that teens often carry a message which, to me, seems to come from God, Himself.
Your teenager is still the angel you held in your arms more than a decade ago, only now your angel is wearing denim but he still bears messages from God. Teens also carry messages from parents, other family members, coaches, teachers, doctors, and other good role models. Unfortunately, they can also bring messages form bad role models.
If you listen with patience, respect, and love, you will be able to decipher the messages from your child. You can use them to help your teen become an adult you can respect, love, and cherish. Not all of the messages will cause you to swell with pride, though some will. Others will give you pause and perhaps make you wish you had never even heard them. Some lessons may make you a better person and, who knows, some may even change the world.
When I was in practice many of my teenage patients shared their messages with me. You will read about them in my new book, “Messengers in Denim”. Look for it after August 12, at your favorite book store; or pre-order it from my website: http://https://parentingwithdrpar.com/.