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Men of Integrity, May/June 2000
| Powerful Words |
Tuesday, June 13
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"Why Did Dad Come?"
Key Bible Verse: The
Lord turned and looked straight at Peter (Luke 22:61a). Bonus Reading: Luke
18:24; 19:5; 20:17; 21:1.
Not
long ago, my family took a cruise. As I sat on the deck drinking coffee, I overheard
a conversation between a 10-year-old boy and his mother.
"But why, Mom?"
the boy asked, "Why did he even bother to come?"
I could see his mother
struggle to frame her answer. "Well," she said, "he's here. And
he paid for all of us to go on this trip."
"He's not here!"
her son shouted. "He's been on the phone or on his computer the whole time!
Doesn't he want to be with me?"
You can't get much closer,
physically, than spending seven days in a tiny cabin on a cruise ship. But what
broke this boy's heart was seeing double—having a dad physically present but
emotionally and relationally absent.
As I think back, I'm ashamed
at how many times I've looked past Kari to catch a meaningless play in some
game, or hurried through a bedtime story with Laura so I could get back to the
computer to finish a project.
Jesus looked at people
when he was with them—really looked at them. It didn't matter if he was tired
or busy. People didn't "see double" when they looked at the Lord.
—John Trent in Christian Parenting
Today
Personal Challenge:
- When you get home from work this week, really
pay attention to your family or friends.
Thought to Apply: The first duty of love is
to listen.
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— PAUL
TILLICH (late
theologian and philosopher)
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Credits: Adapted from— Tuesday:
Christian Parenting Today (11-12/99)
Copyright © 2000 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of
Integrity. For reprint information click here.
May/June 2000, June 13, 2000
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