StarBoy
I’m writing this to you after our last conversation, the one where you suggested your mum and I need to intensify our support, and not scale down. You said, “Perhaps we need to do something different.” You are right. You are so right. And I want you to know, first and foremost, that I have heard you.
I am sorry that the weight of my frustrations— the threats about school or even Africa—made you believe those were our only tools. I see now how real those threats felt to you, and I am sorry for the fear they caused. I was only highlighting the point that your foundations have to be on getting the basics/fundamentals right otherwise, everything on top eventually falls.
The low levels at school needs to stop- Ravel Morrison was one of the most talented players to come through the Manchester united academy but his career never reached its full potential.
We have discussed this a few times and I am genuinely concerned!!! For you, this means focusing on the simple things- listening, learning, showing respect and making good choices
You told me you “can’t help yourself,” and that you even prayed for God to “arrest you.” That prayer broke my heart, because it shows a young man who desperately wants to do well, who feels trapped by his own actions, and who is crying out for a power greater than his own.
Waking me up this morning for a training session felt great. It reminded me of the good times and this is where I hope the “something different” begins. It begins by realizing that the help you are praying for has a name: Jesus. You asked God to arrest you, but He wants to rescue you. He doesn’t just want to stop the bad behavior; He wants to give you the strength, the peace, and the self-control that you feel is missing.
The Bible says, “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). That means you don’t have to face this struggle alone. As I reminded you this morning, your mum and I need help too and Jesus is the person we turn to.
You have a detention to serve in the new year. Let this one be different. Let it be a time of true reflection, not just a punishment to endure. As you prepare for it, I want you to do three things:
1. Pray a New Prayer: Instead of asking to be arrested, ask for help. Say, “God, I am struggling. I want to do better. Please, through Jesus, give me strength today. Help me think before I act. Help me listen. Fill me with Your peace.”
2. Reflect Deeply: Remember the lessons from my previous letters. Think about the “why.” What happens in those moments leading to a low-level misdemeanor? Is it frustration? Boredom? Impulse? Just taking a few seconds to breathe and pray in that moment can change everything.
3. Think about our newly introduced weekly transformational vocabularies . One of the words for this week is Team Collaboration.
This reinforces the need for us to communicate, listen and work together. We both need to play our respective role. This requires patience and trust and I hope you are able to discover stability by forming a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, who offers guidance and unconditional love.
I genuinely hope you are more grounded and go on to achieve the heights you are capable of. So, this detention can be a line in the sand. Let it be the last of its kind. Not because I am threatening you, but because you are choosing a new way. You are choosing to accept the help that has been waiting for you all along.
We are not giving up on you. We are fighting with you. And now, we are choosing to fight with better weapons: prayer, faith, patience, and love ( all of which are part of our transformational vocabularies). We will get you any help we can, and we will walk this path with you, one step, one prayer, at a time, but please take this decision very seriously otherwise your words and your promises becomes irrelevant .
I believe in the young man you are becoming. I love you, always.
With all my love,
Dad
