[Chuck Swindoll tells this wonderful story of his own life]
Years ago my older son, then a teenager, and I dropped by the local Hallmark
shop to find Cynthia a card for Mother’s Day. Somewhat bored with the
process, Curt wandered back to the posters and soon called me to come look
at one he liked. It was a picture of a boat on a very still lake at dawn. A
father was sitting at one end, his son at the other, fishing. Both were
smiling, obviously enjoying those leisure hours together. Two words were
neatly printed at the bottom of that exquisite scene of solitude: TAKE TIME.
It got me thinking about how seldom we really take time to be with our
children. Some time later, l saw a column in Newsweek entitled “Dear Dads:
Save Your Sons,” by Christopher Bacorn, a psychologist living in Boerne,
Texas. I still can’t shake myself free from his words.
“I have come to believe that most adolescent boys can’t make use of
professional counseling. What a boy can use, and all too often doesn’t have,
is the fellowship of men – at least one man who pays attention to him, who
spends time with him, who admires him.
A boy needs a man he can look up to. What he doesn’t need is a shrink. The
great majority of youthful offenders are male, most without fathers involved
in their lives in any useful way. Many have never even met their fathers.
What’s become of the fathers of these boys? Where are they? Well, I can tell
you where they’re not. They’re not at PTA meetings or piano recitals.
They’re not playing catch. They’re not teaching Sunday school.
Where are the fathers? They are on golf courses, tennis courts, in bowling
alleys, fishing on lakes and rivers. They are working in their jobs, many
from early morning to late at night. Some are home watching television, out
mowing the lawn or tuning up the car. In short, they are everywhere, EXCEPT
in the company of their children.”
What do you do when you have a free day, a holiday, or even a few available
hours? Are you tempted to fill this time with “necessary” work projects or a
whole day on the links with a few of your buddies? Before saying yes to the
above, stop and ask yourself, “Why not spend some quiet time with one of my
kids?”
Before it’s too late, Dad, take time.
~~
Dr Bob Griffin
[email protected] www.grif.net
“Jesus Knows Me, This I Love!”