Monday, December 05, 2005

Bachelor's in Fatherhood?

Today, my older daughter turns 4 years old.

As most parents, I am amazed at how quickly the years have gone by.

I also wonder whether I learned more in my four years of college, four years of seminary, or four years of parenthood. It could be a close call.

Anway, reflections and insights from these 4 years:

- Children can push you to the limits of human emotion, both good and bad, and cause you to react in ways you never thought such a small creature could.

- The stupidest words I ever said (out loud), "Having kids won't change our lives THAT much".

- Having "up close and personal" experience with a child brings new levels of meaning to scriptural ideas and teachings - that God is "our Father", that Jesus commends the faith of Children, even the idea of laying down one's life for another.

- There was some Luther quote I read about Fathers changing diapers because it was a Christ-like thing. I wish I had a quarter for every dirty diaper I changed. But if I had a nickel for every sin of mine God forgave... (then I REALLY wouldn't need Google Adsense)

- Two words: ORIGINAL SIN. Kids give you a lesson it it you will never forget.

- How anyone does this on their own amazes me (single parents). How mothers do what they do amazes me. Single dads get the gold star in my book.

- I am SO not built to be a mom. My wife and I certainly offer different kinds of love to our children. Motherly, and Fatherly, respectively. But I could never do what she does.

And much, much more, of course.

Thank God for the gift of children, and for the many ways He blesses our lives through them.

3 comments:

Out Of Jersey said...

It is a lot harder than it looks huh? That's why I enjoy my friends kids, I can spoil them and then send them home.

Anonymous said...

Considering the title of my fatherhood blog, I had to laugh at your comment on original sin.

My son has given me such a greater depth of understanding of God. I realize all the feelings I have toward my son, God has toward me. The joy, the frustration, and, above all, the love. The lengths to which I would go for my son is nothing compared to the lengths God went for me.

(By the way, here's that comment from Luther, which I just found today on another blog.)

Preachrboy said...

Not the exact Luther quote I was thinking of, but a good one too.

Both parenthood and marriage, I have often said, are "living object lessons" of our relationship with the Lord. Much to learn there.