Paranoia abounds in our culture, especially as it relates to our children. When parents are afraid for their young they are quick to turn and attack anyone or anything they deem a threat. In the absence of clear thinking, fear can cause parents to attack the very people who are trying to help them and their children. Dear parents, please make sure to have grace on those brave enough to work with minors. It is becoming an increasingly risky calling to work with kids of any age due a culture that loves gossip, loves to accuse, and loves to believe whatever they hear in the drama-hungry news. Working with kids has become so dangerous that only the brave take the risk. Working with kids has become so thankless that most of the people trying to help you and your minor are good people who are in it for the right reasons – not because it’s applauded, pays well, or is secure. It’s none of those things. In fact those who work with minors are sure to get their hearts broken often, have parents mad at them when their kids do not make good choices, and will at least at some point in their career have accusations thrown at them that could land them in the unemployment line and blacklisted.

You’ve probably seen the cartoon below before. If not, look at it and think about it now. How true is this of you as a parent? Is it scary to work with your kid, not because your kid is dangerous but because you are dangerous and confused about whose head to bite off when your kid makes dumb decisions? Are you so afraid of it being your fault that you have to find someone else to blame? Has the culture taught you that it has to be someone else’s fault other than your darling junior’s? When Adam and Even sinned did God blame himself or look for someone else to blame for Adam’s choices?