They are the Present

As someone who works with children every day, one of my pet peeves is when people treat children like children.  They are not dumb.  And they are not dogs.  So please stop using the Baby/Dog Voice when you talk to 10-year-olds.  They notice.

Children are extremely intelligent; in fact, I would argue that they are more intelligent than most adults.  (And no, I'm not taking a jab at dumb adults.  I'm being serious.)  They pick up new information and even new languages like sponges.  They think differently and problem solve in ways many adults would never think of.  The only advantage an adult has over a child is time on this earth--practice.

So I wasn't surprised at the intellectual conversation my class had about the Parable of the Seeds tonight.  I wasn't surprised when they analyzed it themselves before reading Jesus' explanation.  And I wasn't surprised when their explanations were different, but still reasonable.

1. "So... the good soil is like God and He helps us grow."
2. "When Jesus died on the cross for us, it's like He took away all the rocks and thorns in our way."
3. "This story reminds me of that verse where He is the vine and we are the branches..."

Reckless Tip of the Day: Don't underestimate children.  They are NOT the future.  They are the PRESENT.