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"{\b \ul SAY `GOODBYE' TO CHILDREN}!--MO       July 2, 1977       DFO NO.608

Copyrighted October 1977 by the Children of God

       (David was relating his dream:)

       1. I HAD DISCOVERED THAT MY MOTHER AND DAD HAD GONE AWAY on an evangelistic trip up to Georgia. The name of the town in my dream was Dublin, Georgia. I don't even know if there is such a place, but anyway, that was kind of specific. The idea of the dream was how bad I felt when I found out they were gone and they hadn't told me goodbye.

       2. MOTHER HADN'T TOLD ME SHE WAS LEAVING AND I FELT THE SADNESS A CHILD FEELS when away from home or the parents are away, his loved ones are gone. I felt very sad that they'd gone without telling me and very lonesome.

       3. I WOKE UP AND WAS THINKING WE SHOULD ALWAYS SEE DAVIDITO AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT EVERYDAY. We should always give him a good kiss and prayer and goodbye when we have to part from him so he'll know we love him.

       4. IN THE DREAM I WAS THINKING, "HOW COULD THEY LOVE ME AND LEAVE ME like that without even telling me goodbye?" I was feeling like a child would feel and how Davidito must feel sometimes when he doesn't see us, so maybe that's what that was for. (Maria: How old were you in it?) Oh, maybe five, six or seven, something like that.

       5. IT'S A WARNING TO US HOW A LITTLE CHILD FEELS. (Maria: I've wondered a lot of times when I've had to make a choice between telling him goodbye and having him cry or just slipping away, but I think it's better to tell him because at least they get over it then and then they know you love them. It's better than uncertainty and not knowing.)

       6. HOW HORRIBLE TO FEEL THAT YOU JUST SLIPPED AWAY AND NEVER TOLD HIM GOODBYE. He'd rather have you tell him goodbye and that you love him. We have usually been honest and told him goodbye and prayed for him before we left. Even though he was a little sad, at least he knew we loved him.

       7. SO I THINK THAT DREAM WAS TO WARN US THAT SMALL CHILDREN HAVE FEELINGS and they must be tenderly cared for and protected from disappointments in us or feeling like we don't love them as parents or we don't care, that we'd go away and not even tell them goodbye.

       8. THE POINT IS THAT IT'S NEVER WISE TO LEAVE YOUR CHILD OR HAVE YOUR CHILD LEAVE YOU WITHOUT A REAL LOVING GOODBYE session to let the child know that you love them and you'll be back soon. (Maria: Even when he's downstairs at dinner and he goes up to bed you want to tell him goodnight and make sure he knows you love him and want to pray for him.)

       9. YES, HE ALWAYS SEEMS TO LIKE THE IDEA OF COMING TO ME TO SAY GOODNIGHT and he'll hold still while I pray for him. He gives me a kiss and he asks me to kiss him goodnight, he really likes it. I'm sure he appreciates that more than to just sneak him off like he didn't know what was happening. He's getting pretty smart, he knows what's happening!


Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family