As I prepare for life as a husband, father and follower of Christ, I am completely looking forward to it. I've dreamed of having my boy play golf with me. I've dreamed of my girl looking just like her momma, doubling my dose of sweetness each day. We are nearly just 5 months away from this day. God has blessed us with a child, and I will be on my knees in awe of the Creator who creates life. I've seen mountains, sunsets, beautiful coastal scenes. But nothing can compare to his gift of life.
As I look forward to being a father, I am constantly reminding myself that life as a father is not merely having a baby and enjoying it everyday. If it terminates on that, I've not captured the essence of God's gift to me.
God created man to be a representation of Himself on this earth and to glorify Himself. He created Adam, then Eve to be as one. Marriage is such a representation of God. Such a union, all parts completely their own, yet one. This same thing applies to my relationship with my child. My son or daughter should see Christ through my constant love for them, my constant forgiveness, my constant guidance, my constant outreach to their lives.
God pursues us and pursues us in an awesome way. We sometimes don't realize it, but he loves us SO much. It was evident with the sacrifice of his son on our behalf! I want my son/daughter to experience much the same from me. The hope doesn't lie there alone, the hope is that through me, they see Christ and come to know the Lord.
The other challenge with this is that only God can save. I can't muster up enough "goodness" in my home to save them. God alone can do it. I am constantly praying that God reveals himself to my child so that they become heirs to the Kingdom just as I have. It is my responsibility, as the man, to create an environment that is conducive to my child seeing Christ. They will look up to me and Rachael for everything. It requires a selflessness that I have never really experienced.
Looking back on my life, I realize how great of a father I have. He came home from work to a very energized son. I never remember him telling me that he was too tired to play games, play catch outside, head to the golf course, watch my favorite shows. He had to be just as tired as I am throughout the workday, but it didn't matter to him, he was going to enjoy his family and create an environment that enabled Christ to be seen. Through his faithfulness and efforts, he was successful.
At a conference this weekend, JR Vassar stated that our sons and daughters are the greatest gift we will ever have to the world. I want to remember this everyday as a father and understand what it means to me as a husband, father and Christ follower. It has eternal implications. We are able to experience God in a deep way through children. A man's fatherhood is not the end in itself. No, it's going through fatherhood and experiencing and loving His Fatherhood.
I am excited. I am nervous. I am thankful for this incredible blessing in my life. Rachael and I are so excited about what is in store for the rest of our lives. I am incredibly grateful that God brought Rachael into my life, because she is going to be the most amazing mother. I know this because she is the most amazing wife.
