Take fatherhood. The father-young children relationship fascinates me. When the father is taking his proper role (and even when he is not) he is creating a model of the Father to his children. When they are young, he can do no wrong. Gradually, as his children get older they come to realize that their father is human and he makes mistakes. He is an imperfect model of God, but a model nonetheless. Incidentally, what happens when no father is in the home? Statistics.
The people I can truly admire are the ones who can be wrong. I want to be like them. I want to be like my father.
It's not enough to be mistaken, mislead, or whatever. No excuses. Just be wrong and expect it to hurt. This will be my easter resolution: BE WRONG. I'm sure I won't be lacking in opportunities.
What you said about fathers is really interesting. Gary Thomas says something along those lines in Sacred Parenting: "The process of raising children requires skills that God alone possesses, and we are decidedly not God...Parenting regularly reminds us of our absolute humanity. We do not love perfectly, as God loves."
ReplyDeleteAnd, "I think about how big I seemed to my kids when I was just in my twenties, and how little I knew. Now, a bit more experienced in my forties, it's almost laughable how much smaller I seem to my children."
Especially when it comes to being a parent, if you can't admit when you're wrong you'll absolutely kill your credibility with your children. If you can admit it, then even though they know you're fallible, they'll respect you nonetheless.
Absolutely. That's a great quote.
ReplyDeleteSo is this why you shaved your beard off? ;-)
ReplyDelete