to an empty house. Or they come in the evening and since the mother has been working all day, she is tired and irrit able. Instead of being a lovely, kind gracious mother sharing the common joys, play and fellowship with her child, she is cross and mean. The child grows up in an atmosphere where there is no real love. A preacher friend of mine was en 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. 11
Christ loves me. I came home that night.. My father was sitting in the easy chair in the living room. He was reading when I entered. I thought he would thank me now; maybe he would even express appreciation. So I walked up and said, ‘Dad, I did something to night I think will make you happy. I went forward and accepted Christ as my Saviour.’ Dr. Sfnith, I thought he would pray with me; I thought he’d put his arm around me and maybe say, ‘Well, son, I’m glad that you’ve come to this decision.’ But he didn’t. He stood up, put his finger out at me and angrily said, ‘Now you’re going to do what I tell you. Now you’re going to be obedient. You’ll have to be or you’ll be a hypocrite.’ He’s been badgering me about it for about six months. Now, I’ve given it all up. I don’t even know whether God exists and frankly, I’m not sure I even care. I just want to get away from it all!” I knew his father. He didn’t need to tell me that he was a fine, clean, up standing man in the community and church. He taught a Sunday school class and was a member of the choir. Yet his son felt rejected and wanted to run away. What a tragic situation with which to be confronted. There was a wide gap between the two with a lack of understanding and communication. Some churches are just too busy. They have meetings on Monday, Tues day, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This was not our Lord’s intention. The church is not to be an end in itself. It is sup posed to be an institution where, with prayer and exhortation and the read ing and preaching of the Word, we have fellowship together. It is to be a place where we may grow and mature in Christ. Sometimes we become so enamoured with our own goals that we forget that the prime responsibility of any man or woman who has a child is the child himself. If a mother has to work that is one thing. But if she'is working merely be cause she wants more of the things of society then that is an altogether wrong motive. How many children come home
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