“He’s a junior.”
That thought hit me recently as I thought about our second child, Will.
It just kind of came out of the blue. “He’s a junior.” That means… this time next year, my stars, he’s a senior.
I guess everything I’ve heard is right… time does fly. It seems like yesterday that he was playing Dixie youth baseball, eating chili cheese “fwies” after the game and getting cheese stains all over his ball shirt. His mom used to say that she could tell what he had been eating because it was all over his clothes. Ha!
It seems like yesterday that we were going to “Shucky Sheese” (Chucky Cheese) for birthday parties and he and his little buddy, Brian Blank, were “exploring” in the woods. Lord, time has flown.
Over the past 16 years we have spent some money on happy meals, pizza, ball game hamburgers, cleats, jerseys, etc… There was a time I guess was bemoaning the money we had to shell out as parents. My dad gave me some good advice; “Don’t ever begrudge a penny spent on these little fellas.” He was right.
Today, happy meals would be nice. Now, when we go out to eat, he normally orders the largest steak on the menu and looks at me as if to ask, “Is that all right?” Happy meals don’t fill him up any longer.
Will plays baseball for Paulding County. During the off-season he is doing a drill called “long tossing” to strengthen his arm. Recently, I was throwing with him. As we threw, he was burning me out. My mind went back about 12 years when we were in the yard and I would gently toss the ball to him trying to teach him to catch. Now, he’s throwing it harder and farther than I can. He has grown.
We have two years and then, he’s off to college. Two years. Two years for him to be a high school student. Two years to be the parent of a high school student. I want to make them right.
You know, when my life is over, it’s not going to matter what size church I pastor. What will matter is what kind of dad was I? I want to do well in that department.
Parents, spend time with your kids. Time does fly. Thank the Lord, I still have some time left.
I’m reminded of Harry Chapin’s song;
“The cats in the cradle and the silver spoon,
Little boy blue with the man in the moon.
When you coming home son, I don’t know when,
But we’ll get together then, Dad.
We’re gonna have a good time then.”
Those lyrics are real. They grow up just like us. Spend all the time with them you can and teach them to love the Lord and His work.