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THOUGHTS ON FATHER'S DAY
Husband sitting on the side of the bed, feeling a bit awkward.
Wife walks out of bathroom with a pregnancy test. It's pink.
Husband calls doctor friend to check to see if pregnancy tests can read false positives. They don't.
Husband, a bit overwhelmed, turns to his wife: "So what do we do now?"
Wife, calmly: "Pick a name."
Over ten years ago Father's Day took on a whole new meaning for me. I was about ready to graduate from college, Jen had one semester to go, we were living in a "borrowed" apartment, I was a part-time youth pastor...and we saw the pink line. I thought, "God, there is no way I am ready to be a father." After some tears (of joy of course) and some conversation with Jen we both remembered that our baby was a gift from God and that He must think it was the fullness of time for us.
I recently heard a parent talk about their kids. The gist of the conversation was: When the kids are eighteen...they're out on their own. I can hardly wait. My heart was grieved. Don't get me wrong, I know that this parent loves their boys, but I wonder why their words are colored with these sentiments. And they are not the first, nor the last that I will hear speak like this about their kids.
I also find it interesting to see the actual parenting goals of fathers for their sons and daughters. Too often it boils down to: get them out of high school without having them hooked on drugs or pregnant or in serious trouble with the law. If they don't get drunk, don't have sex, and get pretty good grades...that's a plus! Sometimes it's a bit more ambitious: getting scholarships to college for either sports or academics (so don't blow the opportunity with any of the above). At least this is where many fathers wind up.
I think most dads start off in the same place though. We have hopes, we have dreams, we have belief that our sons and daughters will do great things. Sometimes even great things for God. Where do we take the wrong off-ramp? I think our hopes and dreams are infiltrated by the misplaced priorities and low expectations of our culture. I also think God wants so much more for our children...and so should we. The deepest desire of my heart is that my children would whole-heartedly follow Christ and care for and raise families that would do the same. Their career choice...doesn't matter. Their "success" in the eyes of the world...doesn't matter. How they perform in the sporting arena...doesn't matter. The amount of money they make...doesn't matter (in fact Scripture talks about the love of money doesn't it?). What matters is Who their lives are focused on and how eternity looks because they chose to live for Christ.
Dads, I need to be honest here: our children, especially our sons, will take their cues on how they live and for Whom they live from us. I don't say this to beat you up because I am among you. I am not always as intentional as I should be...to laugh, to talk, to correct, to hug, to encourage. Let's look at how we are shaping our children and take advantage of each day. Just tonight I raced my boys on a retro BMX scooter down the hill by our house while they chased me on their bikes and topped it off with a pillow fight (with cries of "I surrender" still ringing in my ears). Let's enjoy our kids, hold on to God's hopes and dreams for them, and shepherd them toward our most loving, great, and glorious Father. Amen.
On the journey,
Pastor Jeff
1 comment:
What a great message. Please tell Jeff he is such a great dad, and his message works for moms too. AMEN!
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