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Wondering why the title of this piece is a phone number?
Many years ago, raising my 6 children in a time before cell phones, I taught them to sing a little song using our home phone number.
They were each told that if they ever got lost, to go up to a policeman.
If there were no nearby police, go to an older lady. (I know, not a guarantee of safety). Then, having found either a policeman or a grandmotherly woman, burst into singing the song.
Aren’t you glad there are cell phones available now?
Anyway, the song went like this: 7-5-3, 2-4-6-9…..I know my number, I’ll get home just fine.
It never made the Hit Parade of the day and no, it was never needed, thankfully.
However, it was our safety net in the 70’s and 80’s while my 6 were little ones.
They knew their names, the phone number song, and above all, that Jesus loved them.
And with that vital info, they did fine.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we knew such things in adulthood?
If we know Jesus loves us.
If we accepted Him as our Savior.
Knowing that we were His and He knew our names better than we do, and that if we call out to Him, we will get Home just fine.
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Other basics helped the children grow as well.
They knew that many people, including themselves, had plans but it was only God’s plan that was best.
There are many plans in a man’s heart,
Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand. Proverbs 19:21 NKJV
They knew that they were to obey God’s law, and follow the instructions of parents.
And the benefits of washing out mouths with Ivory Soap encouraged them to guard their mouths and tongues.
Someone, somewhere decided that mothers who did this were practicing child abuse, and perhaps, that is part of the reason that the language of this world is filthier than it was 50 years ago, but I digress.
And you will stray from the words of knowledge. Proverbs 19:27 NKJV
Whoever guards his mouth and tongue
Keeps his soul from troubles. Proverbs 21:23 NKJV
Trouble will be avoided when we guard our mouths. I love Proverbs 18:21. It tells us that death and life itself are in the power of the tongue.
Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit. Proverbs 18:21 KJV
Indeed, if we speak, we will eat the fruit of our words, whether good and sweet, helpful words, or words of hatred, cruelty, and evil.
Surely, God Who sees all that we do, also hears all that we say.
He knows all that is in our minds and hearts.
Perhaps, children today could benefit from another homegrown thought-poem:
“Does it please or frighten you
that God sees all things you do?”
It certainly helped us. It made the children aware that all they did was viewed by God. Do we think of that as we go about our daily adult lives? Think of it now.
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Children, however, do grow up. My six now range between 39 and 52 years old. My stepchildren, from marrying Bruce after we were both widowed, are even older. (See our article, Is God Real In Your Life? for the full story of our marriage.)
As our children all grew, we watched them go through many different phases. Some we were glad to see them grow through, others we enjoyed more while the stage was here.
CONTINUING TO GROW
We adults continue to grow and change and hopefully grow into the likeness of Jesus.
Day by day, glory to glory, we are being transformed into the same image of Jesus.
The day we reach Heaven will be the day we are most like Him. Til then, we pray and obey God, follow and love the Lord and trust that as the children of God, we grow to be more like Him.
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor 3:18 NKJV
We are no longer little children. Safety is no longer found simply by memorizing a phone number song or chanting a God Is Watching rhyme to keep us on the right path.
It must be the daily praying,
following,
obeying,
loving,
fully serving God with all of our hearts,
and allowing Him to teach and lead us
as we grow more and more,
glory by glory,
into His Likeness.
—Let’s begin.