Assumptions...

 

I was reading this story how Jesus’ parents lost him when he was twelve. There have been numerous memes made of the same but the one that takes the crown for me was one for new parents that says, ‘even Jesus parents lost him, you are doing just fine.’ I think sometimes people are too hard on themselves they forget that there are other people have gone through similar or even worse situations.

Back to the missing baby Jesus. Now, one thing that I couldn’t help but notice was how the Bible phrased it ‘his parents did not know it, but supposing him to be in the group…’ this phenomenon I will admit is new to me because in the traditional African setting, a child was always within the mom’s sight. I do not know how our moms did it but they were always watching. Nothing went unseen. You would be playing with your friends and then suddenly a slap out of nowhere and you are left wondering, 'how did she even know what I did?' Anyway, Jesus parents lost him and to be fair to them, children are sometimes just too much with their never ending energy. Plus a twelve year old is old enough to know what to do and does not need to be reminded every now and then.

This was not Parents magazine; I have the wildest idea on parenting. But the phrase ‘they assumed he was with them,’ leads me to my dilemma, how many things have you assumed were okay? You see how your friend will go through depression and you never know? Is it because you assumed they were okay? or you assumed if they needed anything they would just reach out? Or forget your friend. You. Your mental health. How often do you take time to check the state of your mind or you just assume you are okay? My driver friend the other day told me that her car servicing is done in distance, that is after a certain number of kilometers then it goes to the mechanic, change oil and do all those things mechs do. Someone else said they do theirs in time, after this number of months... and I ask, if cars need this much attention, how much more our minds? When last did you visit a therapist just to unwind? When was the last time you really got vulnerable with someone and shared what you really felt? When was the last time you vented?

I know we assume a lot of things, I do too, but this is a wakeup call for us to be intentional in everything we do and every aspect of our lives. Join your friends and go for that road trip. Don’t keep working all year round you’re not a clock. Go visit someone, share a meal, go play with your friends, visit the sick in hospital, go for a hike with your family. You can never run out of activities to do.

If you are a parent, do no assume your child is okay just because they are breathing. Talk to them, let them open up to you. The other day I saw a suicide note and it just broke my heart! Parents, do not just work hard to provide your kids with material stuff only, they are good yes but also be there for them, talk to them and let them feel free to talk to you. You never know what they may be going through! As much as school fees is important, so are their emotional needs. 

Let us be intentional in our interactions and relations. Don’t assume Jesus is with you, make sure he really is. It took Mary and Joseph three days to find Jesus, watch that it doesn’t take you a lifetime to find yourself.