William Smith, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Hunstville, AL
When the first of our five sons was born, we decided that he would be a model child. We would not make the countless mistakes our own parents had made, for to rear a model child we would need to be model parents. Calvin, of course, would not have any weaknesses of personality or behaviour, for we would apply the strict discipline necessary to avoid such things developing. It goes beyond saying that he would be quite handsome, very smart, and flawlessly mannered. One day the model male would marry the model female with the model parents smiling. He would go on to success and money, become an elder in the church, and, naturally, produce model children.
By the time we realized it was not going to work, we were well on our way to producing a neurotic child. As is obvious to you, when Philip and Joel came along, we had long given up on any attempt to produce model children I want us to consider a Model Child. We must ever remember His absolute uniqueness, but at the same time we can find in His childhood a model to instruct us as parents and educators. I speak of the Lord Jesus Christ.
