THE VOICE IN MY HEAD

I recently re-watched the movie Overcomer (by the Kendrick brothers) with my daughter and it felt like I was watching it for the first time. This movie has lots of life lessons and watching it again revealed more lessons and reinforced my resolve to be an intentional parent to my children.

I highly recommend this movie to all parents.

Dear parent, your child carries your voice with them everywhere they go, they hear it when about to fall asleep and when they wake up, they hear it as a child and in adulthood, they hear it when faced with difficulties and are about to give up.

YOUR VOICE IS THE LOUDEST VOICE IN THEIR HEAD!!

The main character of the movie went through life not knowing who she was until she was introduced to Jesus and started searching out her identity through reading the Bible; that then became a voice in her head leading and showing her who she really is. She later had to face a challenging situation she was not too sure she would succeed in; the voice in her head (her dad's recorded voice echoing what she had learnt from the word of God and motivating her) was the leading factor in her final success.

I was talking to a youth the other day and I recalled how when I go shopping for clothes for myself I can still hear my mother's comments about length of skirts and how tight or appropriate a piece of clothing is or is not.

In as much as we have to discipline and train our children we must never forget that to train a child requires connecting with them on a healthy level so the training and discipline can be well received even when they disagree, the fact that there is a healthy relationship will help them submit to your authority over them.

Dear parents in diaspora, the world you are raising your child in may be contributing to the negative voice in their heads, please make a resolve not to add more negative pressure to your child emotionally; they need a safe place where they are not judged and beaten down.

Parenting in diaspora comes with its good, bad, and ugly; may our inner mind be open to the right way to parent our children successfully in diaspora. May we be strengthened to deal with the negative voices in our adult minds, heal from it so we are not broken traumatized adults raising children in same traumatic cycle.

Your voice matters, your voice stays with them for life; be the voice of hope and love to your child.

"You have been graced by God to raise your child well"