Proud!

Caleb Rocking with Radiant Worship

Yesterday I watched my son playing drums in front of our large congregation.  It was the first time and, in some ways, it was like watching him fly.

He has been playing for years and has had many struggles on the way.  He has practiced and taken lessons.  He has played and received direction from me and others.  He has been ornery, funny, encouraging, hateful, rude, calm, excited and all the other inconsistencies that make up a musicians life.

He is my youngest and so has had to follow in the footsteps of his brothers all his life.  Never as good as they are at anything, at least to his mind.  But this year that changed.

Both of my older sons are talented, intelligent, gifted in many ways.  But he found out that there are somethings he can do that they just can’t.  He can fix things they can’t figure out.  He can make beautiful a motorcycle that has sat around for many years.  We got it running but he is making it shine.  And he can drum.

It was a last minute thing.  He had been passed over before and dealt with the rejection and discouragement that came with it.  But he’s tough.  God has been helping him believe in himself.  He was tired from working a really difficult job but was able to put the time in to quickly learn some songs that were unfamiliar to him.

I didn’t want to say anything at the time, but I was nervous.  These things have so much potential for going either way.  Like when he learned to ride a bike.  You’re not sure he won’t wreck till you watch him flying down the road.

And….he flew!

It can be so easy to not risk, not try.  It can be so easy to look at our failures and past regrets, knowing that we will fail again and again.  But God calls us beyond that.  He calls us to believe that, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me!”  He calls us to live.

As I watched my son play, my heart joined with the Father’s heart that says, “I always knew you could.  I always knew that you would be a blessing.  YOU ROCK!!!”

Do you hear Him saying that to you?

Advertisement

To My Son

Dad
Dad (Photo credit: atkinson000)

This is dad and I just wanted to send you a note to remind you of some things, in case circumstances of late are making it unclear.

 

1.  I am your biggest fan.  Nothing you say or do changes the potential and value that I see in you.  No matter what you do, in work, in service, in life, my desire is for you to be successful, whole, joyful, peaceful.  No one, and I mean no one, wants this more for you than I do.  My rules, my words are not meant to hinder you, to hold you back, or lessen your worth.  It may be, just maybe, that I see things that you don’t, that I feel things that you aren’t aware of.  Maybe, as your father, I know your design better than you do and your focus does not allow you to see all there is, both good and bad.

 

2.  I believe in you.  I may yell at you, make things difficult, cause you problems and everything will look like I don’t trust you.  But I do.  You are kind and strong.  I love your heart and your view of people.  I am so proud of what you are doing in your life and the man you have become.  I’m so proud of the person I know you will be.  Please listen to my words, knowing that even the difficult, hurtful things that you hear are from the one person who knows you best and loves you most.

 

3.  You are young.  You don’t know everything yet.  Your history is not complete.  You haven’t done everything you were put here for. Let me help you.  Don’t fight me and make it a war of wills.  Despite your growth, your not big enough.  The things that life will throw at you are too much for you to handle alone.  I won’t always direct.  I will let you make decisions for yourself.  You are your own person too.  Just let me walk with you and guide you along the way.  I don’t want everything in you to be thoughtless, robotic.  I even want you to make mistakes, fall down and get back up, fail utterly and completely, because there are things you will never know or see unless you do.  If you let me, I can help minimize the damage, process the lessons, see the silver linings.  I just want to stay in your life, stay connected.

 

Just a couple of things I wanted to say before life steps in and gets everything buried under business and busyness.

 

I love you.

 

God

 

“Daybreak” by Matthew Hawkins is available at smashwords.com.  Click on the link below:

 

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/384362