Perspective - Part 2

In less than a year's time, from September 2005 to August 2006, three very significant events happened to me - I had a near-death experience myself, I watched my dad lose his battle with cancer, and I witnessed the birth of my first child. When I think about those three events, I realize I am standing in-between two points...I saw a blood relative leave this world and a blood relative enter this world, and here I am, taking inventory of how I've spent my life up to this point and what changes need to be made as I go forward. It is an interesting and sobering place to be. I visited my dad's grave on December 24th, what would have been his 72nd birthday. I also visited it on March 3, the anniversary of his death. I am happy that he is in heaven and not suffering anymore, but I am still saddened that he died with a large gap between things he wanted to do and what he actually did with his life. I think he had many regrets. Life is so very precious and each day we are alive is a gift to be savored.

I have seen, not only with my dad's life but also friends and acquaintances, how "little foxes" can "spoil the vine." The choices we make, the people we associate with, the negative things we hold onto - all these are variables that affect the course our lives take. I look at my 8+ month old son and realize he is an empty canvas with an incredible amount of potential. He will not only learn from things I say, but he will learn much more from what I do. I do not take that lightly. When he stands over my coffin, what will go through his head? I think of Steve Irwin and the eulogy that his daughter Bindy gave. He was and will continue to be her hero. I want all my choices in life to be examples to my son of what TO do, not a list of mistakes to avoid. He will still learn from either, but I want to be his hero. I want him to learn to be the best husband by watching me, I want him be the best father by drawing from his experiences with me, I want him to be successful in whatever he does and attribute it to principles learned from me, I want him to be a man after God's own heart because of my hunger and thirst for more of God, and I want him to have a passion for helping others as he sees that heart in me. So, if those things are my desire for his life, and I want him to pick them up from me, then they must be stirred up and maintained in my life. In each of those areas I need to ask myself at the end of each precious day, "Did I take steps forward toward those goals or did I move backwards."

Today I will move forward.