Being A Father, According to His Plan

Happy belated Father’s Day! I love being a father. I have three children, and all three call me by a different name.

To my oldest Debbie, I am Daddy. To Dewayne, I am Deddy, and then to David I am Dad.

Why each one calls me by a different name I do not know. The baby of them turned 16 last week and it has caused me to journey down memory lane with my kids.

In doing this I am reminded again that Deborah and I have raised three imperfect kids. They were made that way by hanging around with deacon’s children. In reality they are just like everyone else, they were born sinners (Romans 3:23).

However often times they are scrutinized more because they are the Pastors Kids, or in their lingo, PK’S.

As parents, Deborah and I sought to follow the instructions given to us from the Bible for our family.

We took to heart, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.” In the beginning perhaps we set our expectations too high and it did not take us long to realize this.

This Fathers Day brought about another milestone in my life. David turned sixteen and began driving this week. It seems as though it was just yesterday that he was four and in pre-school.

He was riding with his brother who was 16 down Post Road and they began drag racing another teenager. A patrolman spotted them and proceeded to stop both cars. After getting Dewayne’s license, the officer asked David if he was scared with his brother driving that fast. David said, “No Sir, He spins tires all the time too!”

Even though this is the third of our children to begin driving, it is difficult as a parent to watch. This is one of the hard parts of being a parent.

Over the years I have made a list of the hardest times of parenting and I would like to share it with you.

1. The first time I had to discipline one with a spanking. Yes I believe in spanking. I said spanking, not beating or abusing. I have always explained to my children about the responsibility I have to discipline them.

I’ve been careful to share that God has entrusted them to their Mother and I, and we have the responsibility to train them up in the way that they should go. This requires discipline sometimes.

2. The first day of school.

3. The first broken relationship.

4. The first date.

5. Their graduations.

6. Enlistment into the military.

7. Their wedding day.

8. Watching your child as he leaves for war in a foreign country.

This is just a few of the hard times of being a father to me. Now with four grandchildren, I’m compiling a list of the hardship of grand parenting.

I still am very thankful for the opportunity that God has given me to be a Father. Please realize that your children are entrusted to you by God.

Let’s do our best to bring them up according to His plan.