As parents of busy children, we often feel too tired to spend time in activities with them after a long day or even a long week at work. Often our children are the first to be put to the side thinking there will always be time.
Gordon McDonald tells a story about Boswell, the famous biographer of Samuel Johnson. Boswell frequently mentioned a special childhood memory, a day fishing with his dad. Apparently, Boswell’s life had been deeply etched for the better on this single day, for he constantly referred to the many matters his father had talked to him about on that one occasion. Many years later, the following entry was found in his father’s journal. These are the words penned by Bosswell’s dad: “Gone fishing today with my son; a day wasted.”
What we may think is a wasted day is a child’s memory for life. Don’t miss the opportunities with your children. You need to develop the lines of communication when they are young. If you don’t take the time early on, don’t expect it to be there when they are older.
A parent will never look back and regret the time they spent with their children, only the time that they wished they had. One successful businessman said, “I was so busy trying to improve my family’s standard of living that, before I knew it, my children were grown and gone, and I never got to know them. Now they are too busy for me.” We can get busy, but we should never be too busy to influence our children because if we don’t, someone else will.
The Bible says in Proverbs 22:6 to “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it.” These are the words that, if heeded, will leave no regrets. It is to the credit of Bosswell’s father that he never ruined his son’s day, but think how much better it would have been if he had understood that the time spent with your children is never time wasted. Now that you know this make plans to spend some time.
Would you like to know more about forgiveness? Contact us at 425-432-0634 or www.taylorcreekchurch.org. We would love to talk to you about the hope we have in Christ. You can also join us every Sunday at 9 AM for Sunday School and 10:15 AM for Worship. 21110 244th Ave. S.E., Maple Valley.
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