Did you know that your child is hardwired to do something wonderful, maybe even great? It may be easy for parents to see their children as future artists (think about that picture on your refrigerator), musicians or actors, especially in their early preschool years when it's common for our children to be paraded in front of us, singing songs, banging drums and showing off their latest watercolor masterpiece. But what about that lone little girl on the top row to the right? Why isn't she singing? Is it possible she's daydreaming about riding in a boat? Maybe she's thinking about a story she'd like to tell but hasn't yet found the way or the means to tell it? Each one of our children is different. They're designed that way by our Creator. Every child is hardwired (or bent) to do something and to do it well. Recognizing your child's bent is as important a requirement as providing a warm, safe and loving home for him or her to grow and flourish in. Understanding and encouraging their growth in their area of expertise may be able to help them overcome teenage apathy and instead give them the confidence they need to follow the road Christ paved for them. When my 12 year-old realized that asthma would most likely curtail any dreams he had of flying, he immediately set to work on creating starships that would carry passengers (maybe even you or me) into space. His first idea was a doozy. He wanted to obtain a box, duct tape and four battery operated hair dryers (do they even exist?) and invent a simple hovercraft. By his assertion, cutting out holes on each side and then inserting the nozzles of the hair dryers into the holes, he would be able to remotely lift the box off the ground and watch it hover. The duct tape would be used to seal the entry points and any areas on the box that might leak air. Dismissing his idea would have been simple. But upon further reflection, it appeared that his imagination was clearly a manifestation of his bent. Scattered pictures of starships and airplanes litter his bedroom. Intricately designed Lego spaceships adorn the top of his dresser and various bookshelves. Buildings constructed out of index cards and plain scotch tape take up a third of our family room. This child is hardwired to create that which clutters his mind. The congestion in his head is alleviated by his various phsyical inventions. It's no small wonder that his father ordered him to climb into the family car for a trip to the drugstore when he was handed the list of supplies. He didn't need an explanation, all he knew was that something in his son's head was clammering to be released. When I read Proverbs 22:6, I see a powerful command for parents: "Train up a child in the way he should go..." Recognize and encourage your child's bent "and when he is old, he will not depart from it." and he will, with great confidence, do what he is hardwired by God to do. Children whose parents are aware of their bent (and thus encouraged and supported) are happier and more prepared to face the challenges that await them as they enter adulthood. It's almost ridiculously simple to stack the cards in their favor when we truly understand what it is that makes our children tick. God knows. And He graciously shared it with us in Proverbs 22:6. What is your child's bent?