It was
mid-February and I was due to speak with a group of middle-school parents in
only a few short weeks, concerning the importance of engaging their children in
dialogue about pursuing a life of purity before the Lord. In this time of equipping the saints, I was
going to encourage them to couple their intentional conversation with a unique
experience of some sort. I wanted to enter this opportunity with more than
theory; I wanted to be able to share from personal experience. With that in
mind and since it was time to initiate “the
talk” with our oldest child, Brooks, my wife and I decided it would be a
great idea to take him on a father-son camping adventure.
The
Lord blessed us with amazing weather and the two of us shared a very memorable
trip. I asked questions that made our son blush and he returned the favor with
some doozies of his own. We had hiked a solid 17 miles in our day and a half journey
through the wilderness, but more importantly we had begun a significant
dialogue – one we will hopefully continue to build upon as he matures and
develops. I must say that I left the weekend feeling pretty excited. “Now, I will only have to remember to
follow-up regularly,” I thought.
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| Sorry Bills fans, I needed an image to work with... |
Unfortunately,
that’s where I dropped the ball. Sure, my wife had an intentional dinner with
our boy the next week and we’ve had several faith conversations with him over
the last eight months, but I had planned to purposefully etch out time, just
for the two of us. We desired to routinely check on his heart, especially
as it pertains to issues of purity. However, I put it on the back burner, and then
forgot about it altogether. It only came back to mind after his school
announced that they would soon be having their annual “developmental videos.” So last week, Brooks and I finally spent a
morning at the donut shop hashing through some of the topics that he would soon
be hearing information about in class. It was a wonderful time of very
purposeful discussion, just several months behind schedule.
What do
we do with the realization that we’ve lost focus of that which matters most?
How do we respond once we are aware that we just may be too busy? When our
priorities are out of whack, what is our move? As simple as it sounds, we are
called to acknowledge our neglect before the Lord and ask Him to intervene. We
remind ourselves that we are not the ones carrying our children along, but rather
it is the work of our gracious Heavenly Father. We pause and consider the truth
of His word; we ponder the wondrous, redeeming work of the cross; and we patiently
wait until our affections are stirred afresh for Jesus. Then, we ask His
Spirit for help.
If left
alone, we’d always fall short. We would constantly “drop the ball” and lose track of the most important things. Strange
as it may seem, sometimes it is nice to see our inevitable inability, in as
much as it turns our reliance heavenward. So, in the area of purposefully
pursuing Brooks’ heart, my wife and I have somewhat missed the mark. Thankfully,
it has been brought to our attention. Where are you, though? Which areas have you
proved you to be dreadfully unreliable? Do you see your desperate need for help
in the hustle and bustle of your daily routine? Then friend, why are you still
trying to do it alone?
I share
this small piece of our world today in hopes that you might be encouraged. In
case you’re naïve to the fact or just a bit too gracious, please know that even
well-meaning pastors often fail miserably in their attempts to faithfully stay on
task. Contrary to our popular feelings, these little hiccups are actually blessings
in disguise, for they shift our dependence upon the Divine. Might seeing where
we’ve dropped the ball, drop us to our knees – in humble repentance, in
passionate pleading, in a sobering way that highlights the reality of our utter
reliance for God’s continued grace and goodness.
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| Matt Fowler - NBC Family Pastor of High School |
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