Lap Talk

I’d like to talk to you about an experience I had as a young father many years ago. It began when my youngest son, William, came home from school one day feeling a little low.

The teacher sent home a long list of things that had been forgotten, ignored and left incomplete. I lectured him about the importance of schoolwork and how critical 5th grade was in the proper development of a normal human being. The look on his face when he left the kitchen told me he wasn’t convinced.

A little later I went upstairs to see him for a “lap talk.” The lecture method had failed so I tried taking him into my arms and sitting him on my lap for further conversation. While I held him, he told me about the offending lapses in his performance, the teacher’s demands, and then he revealed the real problem behind all of the fuss – he had made no “buddies” yet at his new school.

I had forgotten that two weeks is a long time to go without friends and the loneliness was showing itself in his work. After some reassuring words, a little help in finishing assignments and a visit from one of his friends from the old neighborhood, he was okay. Will’s experience reminded me of the importance of friendship and how the lack of meaningful relationships can make us depressed and even ineffective in our work.

This is our reason why the fellowship that Christians enjoy at worship is so important. Church life is a great opportunity for us to be with our friends, make new friends, extend friendship to those who are lonely and introduce your friends to each other. Let’s take advantage of the Lord’s day to do any or all of these things with our friends. I’m sure Will would have benefited from such an approach if they’d had it at his school.