gaged in an itinerant ministry and was away most of -the time. When he came home between meetings his family was delighted to see him. One time when he had to leave, his young son said, “Father, you’re not going again are you? Why don’t you live with us like other fathers?” He said kindly and understandingly, “I’m doing this be cause I love the Lord and want men to be saved. You love Jesus, don’t you?” The little boy had tears in his eyes as he responded, “I’m not sure, ’cause it’s Jesus who’s taking you away from me.” This man wisely gave up his wide spread ministry. He had to be with his child to understand and love him. There are some fathers who have never spent an hour or two with their sons in a single week since they were bom. Then they wonder why the boys turn out as they do. When they do what happens? In Chicago a father came up to me after a meeting. It was right after the Christmas holidays sev eral years ago. He said, “You know, ‘Doc,’ it’s beginning to pay off. My son was home from the army and told me, ‘Dad, there are all kinds of corrup tion and evil in the service. A guy is tempted in many ways. But when this happens, I just remember the times you and I played and had fellowship together. You lived like Christ, dad. Then I say to myself, ‘You can’t do that. You’d break your dad’s heart.’ Yes, ‘Doc,’ it’s all beginning to pay off!” Have we fathers so loved our chil dren that they seek to become like us? You were given of the Lord to your child to love him and to provide for him. May God give us grace to be the kind of parents he would have us be. h * * When we hold the torch to light an other's path we will always brighten our own. * * * While it's a good idea to get in and dig, be sure you're careful not to throw the dirt, * * * There's only one real piece of advice to give about prayer and that's to practice it.
Chapter Eight T he L ord gave very specific instruc tions to the Jewish people concern ing their responsibilities as parents. In Deuteronomy, the sixth chapter, we read, “Hear, 0 Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” What a tightly knit group this suggests in a fellow ship which engenders faith and love. It was about 5:30 one particular day when I came home between work and heading out to a banquet on the other side of Minneapolis. I had only about a half an hour to get dressed and freshen up. Just as I was entering the back door, my little fellow said, “Say, father, would you be willing to fix my bike chain right now?” I wondered to myself, “Who has time for bike chains?” My boy continued, “You know it’s been broken for two days. Tomorrow is Saturday and I sure need it.” “Let’s have a look, son.” I got off my pastoral garb and put on some old duds. We went up to the hardware store for a couple of links. But when we got home we found out somebody had made a mistake and had given us two different sizes. So we went back for the right ones. When I had finished, I had him take a spin around the block just to make sure it worked. My reward was his words, “Oh father, I’m so glad you took the time to fix my bike chain. I sure think you’re swell!” When I got to the banquet they were having the dessert. The man who was in charge thought he was going to have to make the speech. I told him I had a little emergency; a broken bike chain. “You didn’t have to come on a bicycle, did you?” he asked unbelievingly. 13
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