I was approaching an intersection where the traffic light was not functioning. A policeman stood in the middle of the street directing traffic. Looking at his countenance and seeing his gestures, it was plain to me that he was stressed. This is understandable as directing traffic is probably one of the most difficult tasks that a policeman has to do. It requires knowing and using the correct hand signals, monitoring traffic flow, as well as the need to be vigilant of several things all at once.
As I sat waiting for my turn to go, I noticed that some drivers who came to the intersection were not interpreting his hand signals correctly or were not responding to them quickly enough. Their incorrect or delayed response caused a change in his countenance from 'stressed' to 'frustrated'. In his frustration over one car's antics he briefly threw his hands up in the air which I interpreted as 'What in the world are you doing?' Of course other drivers approaching the intersection who did not see what had happened previously are looking at the hands go up and thinking, 'Okay, what does that mean I'm supposed to do?' They then are misguided because of the policeman's frustration and remain confused about what they need to do.
This scenario reminded me that with my kids, I am on center stage. They are looking to me, like that traffic cop, for direction. When I blow up, lose my cool, jump down their throats, whatever you want to call it, I am throwing them off course and confusing them about what they need to do. Yes, being a parent can be stressful. However God has called me to this role in my children's lives where I must perform to the best of my abilities so that they can be stars.
thank you....
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