April 23, 2004

No Pressure Though

Some moments pass by so routinely that we seem to be unaware of how significant they really are. I was playing on the floor with my nine month old son Caleb the other day, making faces at him, tumbling around, and tickling his ribs with my scruffy chin. I tickle. He giggles and drools. I laugh. He flashes his four front teeth and drools some more. Then he crawls around harassing the dog…and drools more. There’s nothing unusual about those activities in my house. They happen every night. Yet, because they happen with such regularity, it’s easy to forget how profound these moments truly are.

It’s sobering to think about the power I have as a dad. If I’m physically (or emotionally) absent from my son or if I’m passive when it comes to my parental leadership, then my son hardly has a chance. Because of his earthly father’s rejection, accepting his heavenly Father’s love will likely be a hill that’s too steep to climb. Knowing that makes the ordinary nightly interaction with my son all the more profound. I have been handed the responsibility to pass on my genes, my values, my faith (and yes, maybe even my uni-brow—let’s hope not!) to the next generation. Thankfully, I have Christ in me working through me to accomplish this.