Oh, Be Careful Little Eyes What You See

When my sister and I were little, my parents guarded carefully what we were exposed to. I can remember times being led out of the movie theater when they found the advertised “Family Movie” to be anything but family oriented.

Many times, they would shut the TV off in the house if something did not meet their standard of what our little eyes should be seeing.

On more than one occasion, I have witnessed my father speak up in public settings if the conversation was unbecoming for young ears. His family was always his first responsibility and he did not take his position lightly.

I can remember one occasion quite well. We were traveling South to see our Grandparents and we stopped at a restaurant to eat. There was a man sitting in the booth behind us talking on his cell phone (this was a new phenomenon in those days). The man was talking so loudly, yelling and cursing to whomever was on the other end.

My father turned around and politely asked the man to please take his conversation elsewhere since his family was within earshot of all his obscenities.

The man very aggressively stood up and left. A few moments later, an older man and his wife, who had been sitting across the restaurant and witnessed the encounter, got up and walked over to my father. The old man told him how much he appreciated him speaking up. He told my father that was a rare find anymore.

I can’t help but wonder how Chuck and I would have responded if it had been us sitting there that day?

A good friend of ours gave us some great advice once. His wife and he have two children a few years older than Eva. He told us that there would be times when it is unpopular, even hard to speak up, but no one will protect your children like you will. He is a Marine. So, you can imagine his stance when it comes to his little girls.

We found this advice useful when a new release showed up at the box office. People were flocking to it in droves. Chuck and I did a little research and found there were many things in the movie we were not going to allow Eva to see. I remember sharing my concerns with an acquaintance of mine, who also had a small child. Their response was simply, “Maybe she won’t notice.”

There is an interesting fact about a mustard seed. It is the only seed that will not cross-pollinate. We are growing something on the inside of our children and it is up to us what is allowed to take root. Wrong seeds planted in the garden of a child’s mind will eventually sprout at the right moment giving birth to undesirable fruit. Speaking from experience, it is easier to keep undesirable fruit out than to get it out later.

We will not be able to control what our children do when they are all grown up, but while they live at home, we have the opportunity to plant healthy seeds into rich soil and trust the Lord to grow them strong.

Too much of today’s entertainment very subtly drops wrong ideologies and lifestyles into the innocent playing field of a child’s mind. It is our job as parents to stand guard. We are the gatekeepers.

It amazes me that at four years old Eva already will shield her eyes at anything we have taught her is “Not Nice.” A child will recognize a counterfeit when they have been taught what the original looks like.

Standing in a local store a couple years ago, I heard a man shouting provocative language and yelling at his two-year-old son as he ran around uncontrollably. It was so intense that many people found it extremely uncomfortable. I noticed they were quickly gathering their items to checkout. I looked down and saw big tears in Eva’s eyes. She fearfully reached for the protective arms of her Mommy.

My Father’s response in that restaurant, from all those years ago, came rushing back to me. I dropped everything in my shopping basket and headed for the exit. Eva’s eyes were looking to me for guidance. She was trusting me to protect her.

The words of that old song hang framed on the wall of Eva’s room as a silent reminder, no matter the innocence of the moment, I must be on guard; Ever watchful as to what is allowed to penetrate into the forefront of her mind.

“Oh, be careful little eyes what you see. Oh, be careful little eyes what you see. For the Father up above is looking down in love. Oh, be careful little eyes what you see…”

“Curds and honey, he shall eat that he may know how to refuse the evil and choose the good.” Isaiah 7:15

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