I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as a beautiful new day - though incredibly hot & humid on the Gulf Coast! - dawns! It is such an awesome time of day...new, fresh, untouched - truly inspiring.
Recently the Haslam 5 spent the day at the beach. It was a truly wonderful day - no cell phones, very little arguing or fighting. Just spent the day together swimming, playing, building a sand castle - just enjoying the beach and enjoying each other.
While building the sand castle - long after my Beautiful Bride and 2 youngest Tender Warriors had lost interest and were out splashing in the water - Payton and I were still busily working away on our masterpiece. We were chatting about all kinds of different things when suddenly Payton said, "Dad, do you think if I was born a long time ago I would have been an abolitionist?" You see, since he was a very little boy, Payton has had no tolerance for discrimination or when he thinks someone is being treated unfairly. I have seen him go from happy, cool, calm & collected to his blood boiling hot in an instant when perceives someone is being discriminated against or treated unfairly...it's just the way he is wired. I replied, "I would hope so however we really don't know how we would respond in a situation until we are in the situation?" This spurred great conversation - when you are born into a family they pass their views, values & beliefs onto you. How do you know if something is wrong if your family is telling you it is right? How do you break the chain of something wrong? It was deep, it was thoughtful and it was reflective.
I have thought a lot about that conversation. There are two distinct points I would like to make this morning.
1. If you have the privilege of being a Mom or Dad please realize, be mindful & thoughtful, that you are passing your views, values & beliefs onto the precious souls who have been given to your care. What they perceive to be right & wrong, how they treat others, there values, beliefs & expectations are all formed by you...at least initially. The question is are you, am I, functioning as a launching pad or a stumbling block? Are we someone that they will eventually have to overcome or are we people that are encouraging, empowering & equipping them to become the best they are capable of becoming, to fulfill the purpose(s) for which they were created? Where are you getting your strength, courage, knowledge & wisdom? How is it all working out for you? There is a lot of truth to the statement, "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." So what is the fruit of your tree - is it truthful, life giving or is it deceitful, death producing? Your tree, your fruit...your responsibility.
2. You and I don't know how we would react in a situation until we are actually in that situation. It is really easy to say what we would do, to be critical of another in a situation, however unless we have actually lived it we really don't know. We have great aspirations - thoughts, ideas about how we would react - we like to judge and criticize others, etc. I just want to encourage us all to slow down a little bit this morning. Let's be a little slower to judge and a lot quicker to seek understanding. Let's not have a critical spirit but rather exemplify the grace we all wish we received. Let's carefully, thoughtfully determine regularly our values & beliefs. Let's carefully, thoughtfully determine Who we will believe and where we will seek our knowledge, wisdom & strength. Then, by the grace of God, we may respond as we hope we would in the different situations we encounter on this beautiful journey called life.
Yesterday I read an incredible article. It was so very powerful. I want to share a couple of excerpts from it with you this morning. You can read the full article - and I would strongly encourage you to do so! - at mybestlaidplans.net. The title of the article is "To the Coach That Made my Son Cry." Here are the two excerpts I would like to share:
Belittling women and children does not make you a man.
Throwing tantrums does not make you a grownup.
Threatening physical harm does not make you tough.
And winning does not make you a winner.
I taught him that from the deepest wells of a man's heart overfloweth his words. A stagnant well produceth bitter water a pure well sweet water; therefore by his words is a man's true heart revealed.
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always be willing to help you any way I can.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
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