“And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4)
There is a scene in the movie, Hook, when Peter Banning (Robin Williams), who is obsessed with work, gets a call from the office while on a family vacation. His wife throws his phone out of the window and says,
“Your children love you. They want to play with you. How long do you think that lasts?… We have a few special years with our children when they are the ones who want us around. After that, you’re going to be running after them for a bit of attention. It’s so fast, Peter. Just a few years and it’s over. You are not being careful and you are missing it.”
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Men, our first ministry is to our wife and children – in that order.
They are a gift from God. And as the verse above says, it is the duty of fathers to lead their children in the “training and admonition (instruction) of the Lord.” Men, God made you in His image and your children will get their idea of what God is like from watching you. Sure, we need to work and provide for our family. But they also need our love and attention. And they need our time; both in quality and quantity.
My greatest achievement in life is not any award for cartooning. It is being a husband and father and now a grandfather.
Years ago, I met an executive who made a lot of money but traveled a lot for his job. When a friend shared with him the following story, he quit his job. His friend told him that there will be three different groups of people who will show up to grieve his death:
- Group 1. The people who will attend your visitation
- Group 2. The people who will attend your funeral
- Group 3. The people who will attend your graveside service
The largest group is the first group. It usually consists of friends, family and a few co-workers. The second group is smaller. It usually consists of close friends and family. But the smallest group of people will be the ones who attend your graveside service. These are the people who loved you the most because of the impact you had on them while you were on earth.
My question to you: Which group is getting most of your time?
My children are adults now and thankfully are following the Lord. That didn’t happen by accident. No, my wife and I worked together to raise them for God. I’m a grandfather now. I can’t believe how fast it has all gone by. Take my advice: Don’t miss it.
Happy Father’s Day!
Gary Varvel
Award-winning Cartoonist and Speaker
A Man IN Action
PS – Scroll down to learn about two ways you can support Sheltering Wings this summer. They involve playing a round of golf and celebrating Christmas a few months early!
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Gary Varvel is a Christian, conservative, cartoonist and speaker in that order. Varvel was The Indianapolis Star cartoonist for 24 years. His work is syndicated through Creators Syndicate. In 2015 he was inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame. Varvel won the National Headliners Award, the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, National Cartoonists Society Reuben Award for Best Editorial Cartoonist Division, Grambs Aronson Award, plus dozens of state awards. Varvel wrote and illustrated The Good Shepherd children’s book plus he co-wrote and produced Christian films: The Board (2009) and The War Within (2014).
Help us spread Christmas cheer – and be a massive encouragement to the men, women and children escaping domestic violence and building stable, independent lives at Sheltering Wings – by participating in Christmas in July.
We decided to take a mulligan on this year’s Fairway To Haven Golf Outing. But, that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a day on the course while benefitting the men, women and children at Sheltering Wings. Register by June 25.
Check out our 2019 Annual Report: A Glorious Unfolding. Find out how your generous support changed the lives of our residents and their children last year. And, get a sneak peek at what is in store in 2020.
