She No Longer Detested Her Bald-headed Dad!
By Xiatian
In a cool afternoon, by the windows of the classroom crowded students, and they were actively discussing the parents coming to attend the parent-teacher meeting. Pushing his glasses, a student exclaimed as if he had found a new continent, “Wow! Look at Wang’s dad. He is so handsome. He really has a good taste for clothes. He must be a boss!” Other students all looked in the direction he pointed. Another student pointed to another direction and said, “Li’s mom is so fashionable. She looks so rich. Alas, why does Zhao’s mom look so dowdy? Sun’s dad is rather old …” The students were having a lively discussion about their parents as if the campus was a stage. Those whose parents were praised were proud with their heads held high, while the ones whose parents were given a negative comment lowered their heads in embarrassment. The scene like this had been repeated many times on the campus.
Xiatian of Class Two Grade One stared out of the window. How she wished that it would be her mom who came to attend the meeting, but not her dad. Her mom is the prettiest in the village, graceful, fair-skinned, dignified, and generous, having a good taste for clothes. She is always the center of attention wherever she is. Xiatian likes walking together with her mom very much, for her mom is so beautiful that she can make her proud enough before her classmates. But her dad is seven years older than her mom. He never pays attention to dressing. And the most serious thing is that he is bald-headed in his forties, and looks as if he is fifty years old. It had been puzzling Xiatian that why her mom married her dad since she is so beautiful?
While thinking, Xiatian suddenly saw her dad walking slowly through the gate of the school. Immediately, she felt nervous and uneasy, and thought, “How will my classmates view him? If they give him a negative comment, how can I face them? Should I introduce him to them that he is my dad? …” Xiatian was struggling in her heart. This was the first time that her dad had attended the meeting. She didn’t want to make him feel that she was detesting him. But…?
At this time, she suddenly thought of the words of God: “Born into such a filthy land, man has been severely blighted by society, he has been influenced by feudal ethics, and he has been taught at ‘institutes of higher learning.’ The backward thinking, corrupt morality, mean view on life, despicable philosophy, utterly worthless existence, and depraved lifestyle and customs—all of these things have severely intruded upon man’s heart, and severely undermined and attacked his conscience. As a result, man is ever more distant from God, and ever more opposed to Him” (“To Have an Unchanged Disposition Is to Be in Enmity to God”).
Xiatian came to a sudden realization: I’m a believer in God, how could I have the same view on things as my classmates who don’t believe in God? How could I detest my parent? She calmed down and began to ponder God’s words: Since this mankind was corrupted by Satan, people have lost conscience and sense, and man’s thoughts have become distorted. Especially in the society nowadays, as long as you have money or power, people will think highly of you. They don’t care how your character and morality is at all. Even the campus, the so-called pure land, has been polluted. We students always compare with each other, and are graded according to whether our parents have money, power, or beautiful and fashionable appearance. The students who get a higher grade will be crowded by others while the ones who get a lower grade will be ignored. So we are becoming especially snobbish. When many parents whose family conditions are not good come to attend the parent-teacher meeting, their children keep far from them, feeling embarrassed when walking together with their parents. Even some students are cold to their parents with unkind words, which makes their parents sad and disappointed. Although good concepts like “Respect the old and cherish the young,” “Honor our parents,” “Children show no aversion to their own poor families,” and “A mother never looks ugly to his son” are always advocated in the society and at school, they don’t work. On the contrary, this phenomenon was becoming more common.
After comparing to God’s words, Xiatian thought: I was also detesting my dad just now, afraid that he will make me feel embarrassed because he is bald-headed. Actually I have also been poisoned by the view “judging by appearances.” At this thought, she felt very remorseful: My parents have put in a lot of effort into raising me. How can I have no conscience and sense? At that time, she thought of these words of God: “Were it not for the Creator’s predestination and His guidance, a life newly born into this world would not know where to go or where to stay, would have no relations, belong nowhere, have no real home. But because of the Creator’s meticulous arrangements, it begins the journey of its life with a place to stay, parents, a place it belongs to, and relatives. Throughout this process, the advent of this new life is determined by the Creator’s plans, and everything it will come to possess will be bestowed upon it by the Creator” (“God Himself, the Unique III”). Xiatian realized, “Actually God has meticulously arranged that what kind of family I am born into, who my parents are, and what family members I have. Because God has arranged my family and parents, I can grow up healthily and happily under the care of my parents. Everything that God arranges is the best and the most appropriate. Although my dad is not good-looking, he has given me all his love. From my childhood, my parents have been especially loving me and taking care of me, so that I can live a happy life. In addition, if my dad did not bring me before God, I, like many of my classmates, would surely trap into the evil social trends, indulge in the online games, idolize the celebrities, fall in love too early, compare with others, and have no interest in studying. Now, I read God’s words and sing hymns to praise God with my parents every day. Under the guidance of God’s words, I have understood some truths, knowing how to discern between the positive and negative things, and setting up the correct view on life and value. Under God’s care, I have been distant from various satanic temptations and can pursue the truth to walk the true path of human life. Aren’t such family and parents God’s best arrangement for me?” The more Xiatian thought about this, the more she felt content. She was truly grateful to God for loving her too much.
Xiatian’s thought was interrupted by the noise of her classmates. She saw that her dad had already come to the door of the classroom. Her classmates began to discuss her dad. However, she no longer cared about this at that moment. Instead, she was happy with her growth in such a family, and proud of her parents. So she immediately ran to her dad and took his hand. All her classmates asked, “Is he your dad? Why is your dad so old while your mom is so young?” Nodding smilingly, Xiatian held her dad’s hand and walked pass her classmates with her head held high …
