My Greatest Investment

My wife Trisha was out of town last week on a much deserved girls trip. She left me in charge of our three boys…which was brave of her. I honestly have to say that I had a blast with them! Before Trisha and I separated four years ago, I took a lot of things for granted. One of the many things that I took for granted was the privilege and honor it is to be a father. If I am honest, looking back on the first nine years of fatherhood for me, I rarely gave 100% to my family and to fatherhood. I gave 100% to message prep, to the small group I was leading, to the vision that needed to be cast, to the board meeting that was so important, to the couple I was counseling, to the capital campaign I was in charge of…and my kids most of the time, got my left overs.

For the 2 1/2 months that Trisha and I were separated, I was only able to visit with my boys. They would be dropped off at a certain time, and I would drop them off at the house at a certain time. That experience changed me. It woke me up to realize that the calling I have as a father is so much more vital to my relationship with God than the calling I have in ministry.

The opportunity I had this week to spend time with my boys reminded me that they are my greatest investment. More than any sermon I’ll preach, more than any small group I’ll lead, more than any couple I’ll counsel…no one else can be the father to my kids that God has called me to be. I love the young men they are becoming and I am praying every day that God will continue to give me wisdom and guidance and integrity to lead them and demonstrate for them what it means to be a man after God’s own heart.

I know that I am not perfect, and I won’t always get it right. But I’m committed…and it is paying off. This past week, my boys and I talked about everything from fantasy football, to their fantasy girlfriends. We talked about bullies at school and we talked about God’s strength to help us in our weakest moments. We talked about PG-13 movies, and protecting our hearts from lust and sexual immorality. Without the investment I have made into their lives, I am confident that many of these conversations would have never happened.

I want to encourage you if you are a father to take an inventory of your relationship with your kid(s). Is it what you would like it to be? Even, if like me, you have messed it up for years, God is the author of fatherhood. He is a God of redemption and grace, and He can empower you to love your kids and invest in your kids with the love and grace that He has for you. Don’t give up, the investment is worth it!

Here are some pictures from our “Boys Week”…as you can see, food was a big part of our week