But, as the previous generation\u2019s parents will tell us, good parenting isn\u2019t about plugging in the right coordinates to insure children arrive at the right spot, or protecting them from failure and pain that come with growth, or arranging their environment so that it all works out for them.<\/p>\n Good parenting is preparing children to figure things out for themselves as they go along in life, i.e., hovering early on but then looking for ways to stop hovering.<\/p>\n The more I look at the Bible as a whole, the more I see that God is not a helicopter parent. Now, you can focus in on some portions of the Bible in isolation\u2013say the exodus period\u2013and it sure looks like God is hovering and micromanaging Israel\u2019s every move to make sure they \u201cturn out O.K.\u201d Don\u2019t worship idols, sacrifice this and that at certain days and times, be sure to eat foods only from column A, not from column B, etc.<\/p>\n But when I look at the Bible as a whole\u2013<\/em>not individual stages on the journey\u2013I see a very different picture. The Bible gives diverse information<\/em> on even some of the most basic questions of faith. This diverse information really can\u2019t be\u2013and I feel shouldn\u2019t be\u2013harmonized to yield \u201cone lesson\u201d or any such thing. Rather, I feel the presence of this diversity yields a different conclusion.<\/p>\n Take God, for instance. If you look to the Bible to find out what God is like, you won\u2019t find a handy information packet. You see varying portraits of God. Depending on where you read, God either knows everything or and he\u2019s surprised and reacts accordingly; he\u2019s either set in his ways as a sovereign ruler or he changes his mind when pressed; he gives one law in one place and later adjusts it or lays down another law someplace else; sometimes he\u2019s overflowing with compassion and at others times he is quick to pull the trigger.<\/p>\n I think the reason the Bible exhibits such diversity of information concerning God\u2019s behaviors (just one example) is that the Bible reflects different moments in Israel\u2019s spiritual journey. Israel\u2019s understanding of God grows, shifts, changes, etc., over time, thus reflecting \u201cwhere they are\u201d at the moment. The Bible records a journey.<\/p>\n A great place to see in a nutshell how the Bible isn\u2019t set up to micromanage our process of growth is Proverbs, Israel\u2019s book of wisdom. Proverbs 26:4 and 5 summarize the entire issue, as I see it;<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/thebiblefornormalpeople.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/helicopter-parent.jpg?ssl=1\" "\\"helicopter")
<\/a>Ours is the generation of parents who hover over our children to help insulate them from failure and insure their \u201csuccess\u201d in life.<\/p>\n\n