“I will be his father, and he will be my son.” (2 Samuel 7:14)
Someone has said, “If you connect a boy to the right man, he seldom goes wrong.” I (Dr. Dobson) fully believe that to be true.
The full force of my own father’s contribution hit me years ago when he lay in the hospital after a heart attack. As I stood by his bedside, I thought back to the happiest moments of my childhood—how we would rise early on a wintry morning, pull on our hunting clothes, and head twenty miles outside of town to a favorite place we called “the big woods.” He’d get me situated under a little tree, and then we’d wait for the sun to come up, watching the squirrels and birds and chipmunks. Those moments with my dad were priceless. They made me want to be like him—to choose his values as my values, his dreams as my dreams, his God as my God.
Are you cultivating common ground with your son? Sharing hobbies or other interests now will encourage open communication during the turbulent times ahead. It will plant the seeds for a mutual faith—and a friendship that can last a lifetime.
Questions for Consideration:
- As a child, did you share any hobbies with your dad?
- What are your favorite memories of those times?
- What activities do your children enjoy sharing with you? What new ones could you try?
- How can common activities build a mutual faith?
Prayer:
Lord, help me to be sensitive to the interests and needs of my son(s). Give me grace to create memories that will strengthen our relationship and draw us closer together, and closer to You. Amen.
From Dr. James and Shirley Dobson’s book, Night Light for Parents.
