A terrible thing for a father to read

Gary Knapp at The Undershepherd has some sobering thoughts on Katie Holmes and her recent marriage to actor/psycho Tom Cruise. As we read all over the news that she's about to have a baby with him, Gary contemplates the path her parents set her on, and how they're reaping the whirlwind in the worst way you can: seeing their little girl turned into a plaything for a sick, egomaniacal bastard:

The parents of Katie Holmes are reaping the seeds that they sowed in the life of their daughter many years ago. They were willing to allow her onto a path of sensuality in her youth and her actions now reflect what they permitted. I wonder if Katie's parents are proud to see their daughter with Tom Cruise who has already gone through two wives? I wonder if they are happy that she is pregnant?

To the world Katie Holmes has reached the zenith: the bedroom partner of Tom Cruise. As a Christian father I grieve and want to vomit. I wonder if Katie’s parents go to bed wondering if their daughter is being mauled by Tom Cruise that evening? If so, does it bother them? Do they understand that they led her to this place?

The scariest thing about being a parent is that you never know how many of your children's mistakes and miseries you caused, and how many you could have prevented, and how many you couldn't have done a thing about. You also never know what dangers you unwittingly shielded them from, unwitting because you never knew the threats were there. Every action a parent takes – or doesn't take – is like a butterfly effect; you never know what the results are until years later, when there's no way to correct it. To parent is to fly blind.

All we can do is pray for our children as though we had no other way of influencing their lives. Because in the end, it's the only means we have that we can be certain will be for their good.

Hat tip to David Bayly.