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Daddy, You'd Better Start Practicing Your Sermon
by Norman and Ann Bales
All About Families


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When our children were still at home, Norman was engaged in pulpit ministry. On occasion he felt the need to address the subject of parenting. Norman was not the kind of preacher who made statements like "My children will never . . .." He had observed other ministers make those kinds of statement and then end up eating their words. However, he did address the subject of parenting priorities. One day he spoke on the subject of spending time with your children. The message had been received quite well by the church, except for one churchgoer. On our way home, a young voice piped up from the back seat of the car. His critique was quite simple and to the point. He said, "Daddy, you'd better start practicing your sermon."

Children are a great blessing from God. Among God's earliest instructions to mankind was the command to "Be fruitful and increase in number" (Genesis 1:28). Old Testament women considered themselves stigmatized when they couldn't have children. The author of the 127th Psalm said, "Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate" (verses 3-5). How could be ever treat such a blessing as it were of secondary importance?

The challenge of developing character in the lives of our children is formidable in our day and age. We must compete with a culture that shows little or no respect for sacred things. At the very time when our children need us the most, we find ourselves more and more removed from their lives.

In his autobiography, The Camera Never Blinks, Dan Rather told a story about observing his young son playing with a boy in the neighborhood. The neighbor asked, "Who is that man?" Rather's son said, "Oh, that's Dan Rather. He's on TV." The network newsman was somewhat shocked to discover that he had lost his identity as a dad. His own son referred to him as a face on a screen.

There is no substitute for time spent with children. Our son's gentle plea pricked Norman's conscience enough to make a greater effort to be available for our children. Was it enough? It probably can never be enough. We've never regretted giving up a social engagement or even telling a person who wanted to make demands on our time, "We can't do that tonight. We have family obligations." We do regret those occasions when we told the children, "We can't do that today. We've got responsibilities with the church."

Children aren't in your home very long. Our son was right. He needed more of his father's time. It's not easy to rearrange your schedule in the kind of world most Westerners live in, but it is important to make the effort.

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