"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." -Exodus 20:12It has recently occured to me that, thus far, I have focussed more on how I might honor my own parents ...rather than how my children might honor me. But something happened recently.
This may sound terribly insignificant, but my youngest son drew a picture the other night. It is a rather humbling likeness too. Do I really look like that? He drew my hair-style (...if I have one...). He drew the little "soul-patch" which I sport. And I wonder if my ears really appear that large??
But it isn't what was drawn that got me. It was what was written. Above and below, my hopefully non-reflective, likeness, he simply jotted down "Yankees" and "Cardinals".
I know.... "insignificant" is an over-statement! What are you talking about? My son knows how much I enjoy baseball. He knows who my favorite teams are. In fact, when I think about it... they have become "his" favorite teams. Do you know how profound that is... to me?? He knows his father well. He knows my likes and dislikes, and when he takes time to create something for me ....he stamps it with the things which I enjoy. Amazing! My son thinks enough of me to not only honor me with the things I enjoy ...but he wants to be sure that I know, that he knows them too!!
This "drawing" may not look like much to anyone else ...but it tells the story of mine and my son's life together ...with a sketched image and two words. Without writing so much as even a phrase ....it says that he loves me so much that he pays attention to what pleases his dad. Now I'm wondering what I can do, on purpose, to honor him.
I hope I do, for my dad, what my son does for me ....and my Father too.
