Imagine your son or daughter standing at the edge of a vast and complex forest with only a flashlight, a map and love in their heart.
Now imagine them trying to successfully navigate that complex jungle with weak batteries and an outdated map.
Love can only carry them so far but frustration will soon set in when the flashlight starts to flicker and the map adds difficulty to the journey.
As men, we have an inherit ability to read maps, but we don’t have the wiring to actually ask for directions. But as a father, we are responsible for our children’s safety and you have a duty to ensure that your children always have a set of fresh batteries, a durable flashlight and a flawless map.
How could you sit back and watch them wander off into the abyss all alone? Yet so many fathers do just that.
What can you do to help your children chart a course for their journey?
First, learn to ask for directions when you get lost. Learn to seek guidance from your heavenly Father and don’t assume that you’ll have all the directions. If you don’t know the way, or you don’t know how to read the map then there is little hope for you and your children. Humbling yourself by asking directions reinforces your commitment to their journey.
Second, recharge their batteries along the way with love, encouragement and by setting a good example. Your children will be inspired to continue their journey if they know that you are behind them all the way. It will also make it easier on them if they have good examples to fall back on and to learn from.
Third, focus their vision on what really matters in life. A little flashlight only shows them what are a few steps ahead, but if you have traveled similar paths before then you can help them avoid some pitfalls. If they take their eyes off the path for too long, they are sure to sub a toe or walk into trouble.
Finally, help them read the map and understand their destination. Also let them know that some parts of the journey are more difficult than others. I’m just now learning that a spiritual journey is not an easy one, but one filled with doubt, questions, and humility. Sharing these experiences will help your children understand the map and journey in front of them.
With these tools in hand, you can greatly influence and help your children on the right path. Sure, you won’t be able to be side-by-side 100% of the time and no journey is without some bumps and bruises along the way. This is where your examples and love come into play.
