Teach Your Children Well


Today is Valentine’s Day. Teresa and I do not celebrate this holiday (I use the term holiday loosely), because Teresa refuses to allow Hallmark and the candy companies to dictate when and how we show our love for each other. Yes, I have an awesome wife. I call her my Proverbs 31 woman. This morning, I saw a card and a note from Teresa asking me to write something in for a keepsake for Ripley. I think this is a neat idea so I thought about what to write because it will be something Ripley may keep as a remembrance of her Daddy. I came up with 2 sentences (it was 5:30 in the morning after all). I wrote;

“It’s been neat to watch you grow. I look forward to seeing the person you become.

Love,
Daddy”

I wish I was one of those people who write in journals. I’ve tried a handful of times since the mid 1980’s to do so but I don’t last long doing it. This blog is the closest I’ve come to writing in a journal and as you can see I’m not constant. I write as I feel the need to or have something to say. I wish I could write life lessons I’ve learned in a book and leave it for Ripley to read when she is old enough to understand. My hope and my desire is that she will see me live a life that she will want to have; one that is pleasing to our Heavenly Father. As I think about the desire to leave something written for Ripley, I think about the book of Ecclesiastes which is a book Solomon wrote for his son Rehoboam. The book was meant to give wisdom and lessons learned to his son who would be king after him.

When Solomon wrote this book to his son, he was coming back to God after doing his own thing thus the book’s opening statement; ‘”Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, Vanity of vanities! All is vanity (verse 2).”’ Solomon went from being given the wisdom of God, building the Temple of God to doing his own thing by building altars to idols and trusting in man instead of trusting in God. The reason for all his wives is that they came with treaty agreements with other nations. By the time that Solomon learned that he needed God and only God, it was too late to teach his son (Rehoboam). Though the book of Ecclesiastes is used in our churches to instruct, the intended target (Rehoboam) missed the meaning or disregarded it. By that time, Solomon’s actions spoke louder than his pen. 1 Kings 12 tells what happened after Rehoboam became king of Israel. It’s a sad commentary but a lesson we need to remember. Our children are watching.

Lord willing, I will be the man Ripley needs to see in order for her to see our Heavenly Father.