Dear Future Son/Daughter,
Myself, and many others, grow up thinking that moms and dads
know what’s best. And the more I grow, the more I realize that parents are
people like you and me. They’ve had thrust into their lives this wailing,
screaming human that doesn’t know how to eat or sleep. And even though you’ve
never done this before in your life, it is your responsibility to care and
provide for this little person. Along the way you learn things, likely out of
just experiencing the day-to-day, and become familiar with your child and their
quirks. And I’m sure that even these words that I write to you today will
become obsolete in the coming years. But I wanted to say the following because
I love you and feel called to.
I grew up in a tough spot. I didn’t have much to go on
living in a home that was unstable and often times changing. Even though I didn’t
have it nearly as bad as other kids there were still hard days. Usually I would
go to school and come home to play with my toys. Other times I would go over to
other kid’s houses and play video games, even the ones my mom told me not to
play. All these days I would learn new things. Sometimes what I learned was
difficult and it hurt. But each time I learned from my mistakes and from good
times I became stronger. And I want you to be strong like I was.
I realize now that what we see, what we hear, challenges us.
Some things are too much. (I wouldn’t let you play an M-Rated video game when
you turned 6!) But when we face the world and try to understand it, with all its
complexity, we become like a stone on the beach: well-rounded. Some people my
age think differently. They think that if you hide the badness of the world
away that you will be preserved from it. I think people think this way because
they remember what it was like growing up. They remember seeing things they
shouldn’t have seen or listening to people that they shouldn’t have. Out of
love, when they become moms and dads, they want to spare you the trouble they
went through themselves by hiding you away.
I grew up watching things that I shouldn’t have. I grew up
listening to people I shouldn’t have. But, here I am: the finished person I am
today. There are bad things in the world. Evil things. Sooner or later we will
have to face them, and be strong. We have Jesus to show us the way. All of us
were made by him, including the bad people. Even in the darkest places, his
light shines. So when you see something bad, or listen to something that doesn’t
sound right, remember that all things have a root in what has been created by
Jesus. The world out there is worth it. And when you meet people, watch something
on TV, or have a bad day, see the big picture: where things are at and where
they will eventually be. The world isn’t perfect, but it still bears the image
of God, and all over underneath everything he is there ready to redeem it.
So if you want to watch something on TV, watch it with me.
If you want to play a video game, let’s take turns. If someone tells you something
at school, let’s talk about it. We can face this world together, and with Jesus
we are a threefold cord that can never be broken.
Love,
Daddy
