Any patent can relate to this. Mom and dad are in bed and junior is asleep in his or her bed. Next thing we know our kid is climbing in with us and gets right in the middle of the bed, between mom and dad. Ok, we think, as long as you're polite and just go to sleep, whatever, you can stay. But next thing we know, junior is laying sideways between you. One parent gets a skull bumping into them and the other is getting kicked by a pair of restless feet. A few moments later and junior rotates again and now he is head down at the bottom of the bed, feet kicking both parents in the head or torso.
This is when a parent, especially the dad, is going to be inspired to say "wait a minute, there's only one way to sleep in bed with mommy and daddy, and that's head up, feet down, still, and quiet."
If we were to write that down, someone could take our comment out of context and rip into us. "There's only one way!? You're such an antagonist, or fascist. You micromanager, why are you so narrow-minded?" The fun part is in this specific example of parent-child bed-sharing, the comment made by the hypothetical parent was perfectly right in context, and just appeared mean out of context.
The limitation imposed by the dad wasn't something the dad even wanted to give. When the dad was woken up from an otherwise good and well-deserved sleep by a little child who climbed over (on top of) him to lay between him and his wife, the first thing to come to mind wasn't "there's only one way," nor "how can I limit this person." It's cute when a kid comes in bed, and especially if they had a bad dream and just want to snuggle, most parents most of the time would be fine with that. It is after the child has rotated and bumped (with skull, shoulders, elbows, hands, and knees) and kicked countless times every couple minutes does the dad resign to giving a command he doesn't think any thinking person should need to hear.
An outside observer who saw nothing and heard only "there's only one way to lay in bed" could easily ask "considering we can choose between sleeping on our back, our side, and our stomach, are you saying most of those are wrong? The trick is those are higher levels of thinking that the dad was well aware of but not what the child needed to hear. Also, ironically, almost all (if not all) of us, even those who might object to the father saying there's only one way, would agree with the father that the child laying in those obstructive ways is unacceptable. When the child wants to be with the father, then the father has the right to make the command there's only one right way to sleep with me. Because what's easier to say (a) "there's only one right way to sleep with me, and that's head up," or (b) "don't lay sideways, don't bump me nor mommy with your head, don't hit us, don't kick us, neither in the side nor in our head." Option B is more technically accurate, but sounds more negative and picky. Don't don't don't. Option A is actually constructive, advising the child what they should do to bring mutual happiness.
The parents look forward to the day when the one way to sleep together is accepted by all, and then at that point, they may need to advance to discussing if it matters (contextually) whether they lay on their side, back, or stomach.
In the same way, God our Father has declared there's only one way to be with Him. Only after we accept this can we be accurate that one size doesn't fit all and there are many ways to please Him. Jesus's disciples were told this to their faces in Mark 9:38-41 (and Luke 9:49-50). But all the nonbelievers need to take more seriously John 14:6, Luke 9:35, Acts 4:11-12, and 1 Timothy 2:5 before they try to claim Mark or Luke 9.
This is when a parent, especially the dad, is going to be inspired to say "wait a minute, there's only one way to sleep in bed with mommy and daddy, and that's head up, feet down, still, and quiet."
If we were to write that down, someone could take our comment out of context and rip into us. "There's only one way!? You're such an antagonist, or fascist. You micromanager, why are you so narrow-minded?" The fun part is in this specific example of parent-child bed-sharing, the comment made by the hypothetical parent was perfectly right in context, and just appeared mean out of context.
The limitation imposed by the dad wasn't something the dad even wanted to give. When the dad was woken up from an otherwise good and well-deserved sleep by a little child who climbed over (on top of) him to lay between him and his wife, the first thing to come to mind wasn't "there's only one way," nor "how can I limit this person." It's cute when a kid comes in bed, and especially if they had a bad dream and just want to snuggle, most parents most of the time would be fine with that. It is after the child has rotated and bumped (with skull, shoulders, elbows, hands, and knees) and kicked countless times every couple minutes does the dad resign to giving a command he doesn't think any thinking person should need to hear.
An outside observer who saw nothing and heard only "there's only one way to lay in bed" could easily ask "considering we can choose between sleeping on our back, our side, and our stomach, are you saying most of those are wrong? The trick is those are higher levels of thinking that the dad was well aware of but not what the child needed to hear. Also, ironically, almost all (if not all) of us, even those who might object to the father saying there's only one way, would agree with the father that the child laying in those obstructive ways is unacceptable. When the child wants to be with the father, then the father has the right to make the command there's only one right way to sleep with me. Because what's easier to say (a) "there's only one right way to sleep with me, and that's head up," or (b) "don't lay sideways, don't bump me nor mommy with your head, don't hit us, don't kick us, neither in the side nor in our head." Option B is more technically accurate, but sounds more negative and picky. Don't don't don't. Option A is actually constructive, advising the child what they should do to bring mutual happiness.
The parents look forward to the day when the one way to sleep together is accepted by all, and then at that point, they may need to advance to discussing if it matters (contextually) whether they lay on their side, back, or stomach.
In the same way, God our Father has declared there's only one way to be with Him. Only after we accept this can we be accurate that one size doesn't fit all and there are many ways to please Him. Jesus's disciples were told this to their faces in Mark 9:38-41 (and Luke 9:49-50). But all the nonbelievers need to take more seriously John 14:6, Luke 9:35, Acts 4:11-12, and 1 Timothy 2:5 before they try to claim Mark or Luke 9.