Article June 10, 1996 Issue

Fatherhood—enlisting the help of angels

William M. Fabian

Fatherhood need not be a mental tug of war between Dad and the kids. Forcing children to accept certain behaviors and attitudes is as productive as trying to push square pegs into round holes. The solution I've found is to stop pushing and instead to yield to the heavenly Father through humble prayer.

Relinquishing this pushing of my advice is not a cop-out or a letting go of parental responsibility. It is a deeply rooted recognition that God, divine Mind, is the most effective Teacher and communicator. When I am frustrated in my efforts to communicate an idea to my children, I withdraw from the battle scene. I quiet my own thinking and pray, "Let the angels tell them."

This phrase is the title of a poem that appeared in The Christian Science Journal (September 1981, p. 524). I have it taped on my bathroom mirror as a constant reminder that human persuasion is not the most effective way to communicate. Angels can do the job best. Angels, as described in Science and Health by Mary Baker Eddy, are "God's thoughts passing to man; spiritual intuitions, pure and perfect; the inspiration of goodness, purity, and immortality, counteracting all evil, sensuality, and mortality" (p. 581).