Subscription Lists

It is a sad truism of life that the most important thing we do requires absolutely no intelligence, at all. No formal education, no technical training, nor senior mentoring is necessary. All it takes is the equipment and the desire to use it. “What is this monumental accomplishment,” you ask? Parenthood. Who among us can truthfully say that we had any idea what we were doing when we became parents? Oh, we knew what we were doing, but we certainly didn’t understand the ramifications. A little stranger came to live with us, and our lives changed forever.

There are those of you who would argue that accepting Jesus as Savior is the most important thing we do. I would not propose to argue that fact. However, as parents we have brought a little soul to live in this world. They depend on us for everything; food, clothing, shelter. The most terrifying thing is that they look to us for spiritual guidance. Those little eyes follow you everywhere. They see. They know. They mimic. They move like you move. They say what you say. Over time, they become like you. And you are intimidated by that awesome responsibility.

One of the saddest songs ever written is called, “Cats in the Cradle.” It describes the relationship of a father and son over the years. When he is little, the boy wants his dad to play ball with him. The father, burdened by the responsibilities of his job and life keeps putting the boy off. He tells him, tomorrow we’ll get together. We’ll have a good time then. Through the course of the song, the pattern is repeated. Some day. Some day. Then the father realizes the tables have been turned. He is the one now wanting the attention. And his son, now a man, has no time for him. And in one of the saddest lines ever written in a song, the father says, “And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me, my boy was just like me, he’d grown up just like me.”

Parents make horrible mistakes in raising their children. We invest in a child’s physical well being at the expense of their souls. We spend Sundays driving them over the countryside to sporting events and social functions. We never actually say it, but our actions tell them that soccer and Little League are more important than church. Those little eyes see the real truth of our lives. They see beyond the facade. Each parent must ask, “What is truly important to me?” What happens when it’s all over and the soccer ball lies in a corner of the garage gathering dust? One of the main things that kept me going to church as a young parent was the fact that I didn’t want our kids to grow up and say Jesus wasn’t important to my Dad, why should He be important to me? For some parents, its too late. Regrets and a dull ache in the heart is all they have left from a young life. Let’s do it right while we have the chance.

"'Winging It" from Stan Smith

Me? Submit??