There was one other quote that I had to commit to memory from the book “The Difference A Father Makes” by Ed Tandy McGlasson. When I read it, it practically jumped out off of the page and tapped me one the shoulder. I think it hit a fear that many of us have as parents. As my son has gotten older and we can communicate further why we do things like discipline, I have taken a new approach. I have recently let him on to the secret that “this is my first time at this too” and “I’ve never been a Dad before”. I hope one day he will appreciate the honesty that I’m learning as we go too.
Yet the fear that each one of us carries is that we will somehow get this wrong. That we will work so hard providing the right teaching, that we will miss something and they will go off course. I found a peace in the quote below because it gave me some courage. It gave me the confidence to know that I can rest in the fact that we are doing what we can to provide a foundation. I pray Gods grace over that foundation and that it will be strong, sturdy and worth building on.
Our job is to build the foundation; theirs is to build the house.
-Ed Tandy McGlasson
I like the quote. I would go on to say that we need to properly equip them with the “tools” needed to build that house. I am looking forward to reading this book. We can compare notes.
Also, I have seen your family in action. Have no worry about the foundations being built. They are solid!
Good point Stef. No doubt we must give them the tools. I appreciate the kind words. It also helps to have great friends that are doing the same with their family like yours. We’ll all figure this thing out together won’t we? Appreciate you brother.