... a weekly letter of encouragement.
January 21 1998 - Singapore
Good Morning!
ON BEING A DAD. TWO APPROACHES:
Yesterday I had coffee with a dad who excitedly told me his
son was flying home from college that night to join the
family for vacation. Struck by his sense of anticipation and
what obviously was an unusual "bond" between father
and son, I quarried him as to how this friendship "happened."
So he proceeded to relate how every night for 21 years he had
put his son to bed, kissing and affirming him, praying with
him, and talking things over, etc.. He recounted that if his
boy came in late at night, he would make a concerted effort to
stay up and meet him at the door, chat with him for a little
while before they both retired for the night.
Then, in the morning, he would go into his son's room and spend
a few minutes with him as he started his day.
"The last 10 minutes of the day and the first 10 minutes
in the morning are the most important in raising your kids,"
he said with deep conviction. Today, this young man strongly
embraces the family's values, is doing well in school, and,
along with his parents, is a sincere follower of Christ.
As I was musing over this remarkable father-son relationship,
I recalled another conversation I recently had with another
dad, who by contrast is anguished over his estranged relationship
with his 21 year old son.
Years ago, when his offspring was but a lad, he had "neglected"
him for his career. Speaking with angst over his son's intense
contempt for him, he explained how this young man is now punishing
him by pursuing a defiant life-style that includes a live-in
girlfriend, and a casual approach to work and career, etc..
QUESTION: AS A FATHER, WHAT PRACTICAL,
THOUGHT-OUT, AND CONSISTENT STEPS ARE YOU TAKING
TO INSURE THE FACT THAT YOU AND YOUR CHILDREN ARE DEVELOPING A
HEALTHY, INSEPARABLE BOND?
We often quote Proverbs 22:6 as a guarantee that our children
will turn out "right". Surely a concerted effort at
bonding would help insure the fulfillment of this verse of Scripture:
"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."
My prayer is that you are having a great week!
1 Coleman Street #02-34, The Adelphi - Singapore 0617
Phone: 337 6498; Fax: 336 9913
© Copyright 1996 Dwight Hill. Unlimited permission to copy or
use is hereby granted subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.
