James Dobson - Stories of Heart and Home

Stories
of the Heart
and Home

Dr. James Dobson

Stories
of the Heart
and Home

STORIES OF THE HEART AND HOME.

Copyright 2000 James Dobson. All rights reserved.

Compiled and edited by Nancy Guthrie.

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published by W Publishing Group, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, Tennessee, 37214.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations used in this book are from The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV), copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

Other Scripture references are from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV).

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Dobson, James C., 1936
Stories of the heart and home / James Dobson.
p. cm.
ISBN 0-8499-1659-3
1. Christian life. I. Title.
BV4501.2 .D594 2000
242dc21

00-043701
CIP

Printed in the United States of America
00 01 02 03 04 05 BVG 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents

O ne of my favorite stories comes from well-known Christian author Max Lucado. It deals with Chippie the Parakeet, who had had a very bad day.

It all began when Chippies owner decided to clean out his cage with a vacuum cleaner. She was halfway finished when the phone rang, so she turned around to answer it. Before she knew it, Chippie was gone. In a panic, she unsnapped the top of the vacuum and ripped open the bag. There was Chippie, covered in dirt and gasping for air. She carried him to the bathroom and rinsed him off under the sink, then realizing that Chippie was cold and wet, she reached for the hair dryer. Chippie never knew what hit him. His owner was asked a few days later how he was recovering. Well, she said, Chippie doesnt sing much anymore. He just sits and stares.

I always get a chuckle when I think of poor ol Chippie, but his story conveys an important lesson. There are times when we can be overwhelmed with life, whether it be running through an airport to catch a plane, only to arrive just as it pulls out onto the runway, or when guests are coming for dinner, and just as they arrive you see smoke curling out of the kitchen. I learned that the annoyances of life strike when you least expect them, and like Chippie, they always leave us dazed and disoriented.

I share Chippies bad day with you in order to illustrate how a good (and often humorous) story can teach us a valuable life lesson as well. Over the years I have collected many such illustrations. Some have come just from observing what was going on in the world around me. Others evolved from Shirleys and my days as parents, with two children and a dog scurrying around the Dobson household. Still others have come from colleagues who have shared their experiences with me over the years. There is one common denominator between all of these stories: each one has provided me with new insight into this fascinating thing that we call human nature.

My friends at Word Publishing have now compiled many of these experiences and illustrations into one volume entitled Stories of the Heart and Home. The stories you will read have been taken from my previous writings, such as The Strong-Willed Child, Parenting Isnt for Cowards, and Life on the Edge. They are presented to you as they were first written so you can you experience them just as my longtime readers have for over thirty years. As you read through these pages, you will experience the childhood of a young Jimmy Dobson, the son of James and Myrtle Dobson, his courtship and lifelong love affair with Shirley Deere, and life in the Dobson household both before and after children. Finally, we will examine together, through stories, our ultimate purpose in life: to give glory and honor to Jesus Christ in all we do.

So, pull up a chair, fix yourself a cup of hot chocolate, coffee, or tea, and relax. Feel free to have a good laugh or shed a tear. It is my hope that these timeless stories will be an encouragement to you, regardless of where you find yourself along lifes long, winding road.

James Dobson
Colorado Springs, Colorado

CHAPTER ONE
Growing Up

A child between eighteen and thirty-six months of age is a sheer delight, but he can also be utterly maddening. He is inquisitive, short-tempered, demanding, cuddly, innocent, and dangerous. I find it fascinating to watch him run through his day, seeking opportunities to crush things, flush things, kill things, spill things, fall off things, eat horrible thingsand think up ways to rattle his mother. Someone said it best: The Lord made Adam from the dust of the earth, but when the first toddler came along, He added electricity!

We parents know how quickly our children move from toddlerhood to childhood to young adulthood. In between are days of laughter and days of tears, lots of ordinary days where extraordinary things happen. Its all part of growing up.

Laughter: The Key to Survival

Laughter is the key to survival during the special stresses of the child-rearing years. If you can see the delightful side of your assignment, you can also deal with the difficult. Almost every day I hear from mothers who would agree. They use the ballast of humor to keep their boats in an upright position. They also share wonderful stories with me.

One of my favorites came from the mother of two small children. This is what she wrote:

Dear Dr. Dobson:

A few months ago, I was making several phone calls in the family room where my three-year-old daughter, Adrianne, and my five-month-old son, Nathan, were playing quietly. Nathan loves Adrianne, who has been learning how to mother him gently since the time of his birth.

I suddenly realized that the children were no longer in view. Panic-stricken, I quickly hung up the phone and went looking for the pieces.

Down the hall and around the corner, I found the children playing cheerfully in Adriannes bedroom.

Relieved and upset, I shouted, Adrianne, you know you are not allowed to carry Nathan! He is too little and you could hurt him if he fell!

Startled, she answered, I didnt, Mommy.

Knowing he couldnt crawl, I suspiciously demanded, Well, then, how did he get all the way into your room?

Confident of my approval for her obedience, she said with a smile, I rolled him!

He is still alive, and they are still best friends.

Cant you imagine how this kid felt during his journey down the hall? Ill bet the walls and ceiling are still spinning past his eyes! He didnt complain, however, so I assume he enjoyed the experience.

Another parent told me that her three-year-old daughter had recently learned that Jesus comes to live in the hearts of those who invite Him. That is a very difficult concept for a young child to assimilate, and this little girl didnt quite grasp it. Shortly thereafter, she and her mother were riding in the car, and the three-year-old suddenly came over and put her ear to her mothers chest.