The cage of society is real. It is truly a shame, but again, it is truly real. Today, we had the privilege to sign a piece of paper that allows our son to graduate an entire year early from high school. This is no work on our part, only his and His, our Lord and Savior. While at the school, we couldn't help but over hear other students discussing their anxiousness concerning their rank. Let me tell you folks, rank means nothing in the big scheme of things, Nothing I tell you, nothing! I wanted so badly to talk with these young adults but they didn't know me from Adam. Would they have received a strangers encouragement, you bet they would have. But, the reality is, we didn't realize the significance of their worry until we were long gone from the campus and began to talk about what we heard. This brings me to my rant, yes MY RANT! Here we go!
These students, young adults, people with purpose...they stress - way more than we give them credit for. We as the mature adults we are, blow them off, tell them "you don't know stress", "quit worrying about it", among other things. Believe me, we blow them off. Believe me, they worry, they stress, they wait anxiously to find out their rank! Rank, what does that really mean? Does it mean their number in a long line of scholarly lineage, does it mean their worth? NO, it doesn't! It means that the folks standing in the front of the big crowd of students can only address one student at a time so we assign numbers to those to receive their long awaited diploma. Now, let me be clear, this is not meant to take away from those students who work tremendously hard to attain top grades, and to make great scores on numerous papers in AP classes, let me not take away from their accomplishments, they are real. This rant of mine is not to take away from, only to encourage and give credit to those which so well deserved may receive. Much, well deserved credit! I have watched my own son work harder than I ever did, work to accomplish things I could never accomplish! Proud parents we are - this is an understatement I tell you. I just want to say to all the students out there, write your own number, write your own story. Your potential is greater than your wildest dreams and imagination. God created each and every one of you. Your value is greater than any number assigned by your school, greater than an any number assigned by any man. Please, for your sake, realize you are a gift from God, created by God in His image, made to take on this world, made to accomplish anything your heart desires. Keep God's will in everything you do, pray for it, seek it, adhere to it. You will be GREAT! Rank is a number, not your worth. A man’s impact on the children around him can bring healing or harm. Growing up I was blessed to have had several great men in my life. One of the things I remember about them was the impact they had on those around them. There was this one man that stands out in my mind. His name was Ray, Mr. Ray to me. He had a home and family in my neighborhood. Next to his home was a large work shop. Mr. Ray could build or fix just about anything, and whatever he did, it was done right. Time and time again we neighborhood kids would show up at the shop, and hang out. He never complained and we never felt like we were a bother, but looking back I’m sure we got in his way, and slowed him down. Still, he never complained. He would involve us in whatever he was working on, and teach us how to do it. One December my best friend and I used Mr. Ray’s work shop to build gifts for our mothers. My mom still has that gift to this day. Mr. Ray provided everything; the wood, tools, electricity, and even the time to teach us the correct way to complete the job. At the time I didn’t realize just what an impact he was having on my life. In a way, he was a father figure, I never heard him say a bad word about anyone, and he was always there to help everyone. I told this story to say this. Men we have a very important role in shaping the lives of the children we encounter. Mr. Ray never told me he loved me, but through his actions the fact was revealed. I can’t even for a minute think of anything that has more power over the positive effect love has on the growth of a child. With my children, I tell them often how much I love them, and I show it in my actions as well, but I also realize that there are many more young hearts out there that need to know they are loved as well. My prayer today is that men take up the torch and show love to the children they encounter each day. Maybe you’re not good with saying the words, and that’s okay. Actions speak louder than words; they always have and always will. Take the time to positively impact the lives of those around you through love. Children are most definitely the future, and if we teach them love through actions then the future will be much better. God has blessed us with children, and in my mind the blessing of a child to love is one of the greatest blessings of all.
Each day that passes I see my children grow more and more. My wife and I realize that one day they will step out on their own and face this world. Our prayer is that we prepare them for this journey. As a parent we must face the fact that the world is not a safe and secure place, and that our children will face many obstacles. While spending time thinking about what else we could do to give them a fighting chance in this crazy world, we realized one critical step - making sure as a family we spend quality time together as often as possible. This step is one of the most important ones. During this time we can, without even realizing it, show our children love and support while getting to know them even better. Sharing a laugh and learning from each other. We have always spent quality time with our children, but now we see that time to be just as important as the life lessons we teach them. We've also found that the time spent with our children is just as important for us. Not every lesson has to be a structured event, just time, a smile, a cry, or a good laugh. This brings families closer together, and gives parents and children a better understanding of each other. Our children are Beacons of Light that God has blessed us with. Our prayer today is that parents find the time to sit down with their children, talk, listen, and get to know them a little better. They are truly miracles. They are gifts from God. Time spent together can and will positively impact the lives of our children.
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