One can make the case that we are never as close to our Creator than in the first moments of conception when in the stillness and darkness of our mother’s womb God breathes life into our yet to be formed lungs.
I’ve often thought, being so close to God, what message would this new life deliver to his or her dad to help him be the best he can be?
Below is my best educated guess.
Dear Dad,
I am so glad that God made you my dad. I am looking forward to growing up with you and the many fun things we’re going to do together. But first, there a few things that God said I need to tell you.
I’m not going to do much for the first couple of years except cry, poop and eat. I’m going to throw things, make messes and smell really bad when you change my diaper.
Don’t give up on me though because God said it’s all part of a much larger process for both you and me.
After a while I’ll start to crawl and then eventually I’ll walk, run, pick up balls and throw them across the living room. I’ll make sounds that don’t make a whole lot of sense but one day I’ll say my first word.
Pretty soon I’ll talk so much you’ll want me to be quiet. Soooorrrrry! I sure do hope you’re around to see all of this. It’s pretty amazing stuff if I do say so myself.
But wait it gets even better because before you know it I’ll be big like you and I’ll start going to school. I’ll make friends, learn to count to ten and say my ABC’s. I’ll have homework, skin my knee on the playground and make lots of friends.
Over the next several years I’ll start changing. My voice will get deeper, I’ll get taller, wear shiny things on my teeth and some of my body parts that I don’t even know what they are will start doing funny things. I’ll really need your help with that stuff.
I’ll talk back to you and mom, keep my room a mess and not want to do any of my chores. I’ll want to hang around people who do bad things and get in trouble. But God told me to tell you not to let me get away with any of it. He said something like spare the rod spoil the child. I don’t know what that means but I know you do. You’re going to be such a great dad.
One day I’ll be so big I’ll move out of my bedroom and go to school somewhere really far away. I’ll become like the smartest person in the whole-wide world. I’ll even get a new bedroom all by myself.
If I don’t like my new bedroom can I come back home? Oh well, I’ll figure that out later, God said I’ve still got lots of time.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. God said you really want to be the best dad ever but that there is a bad man who will try to get you to do bad things. I don’t know why but he doesn’t want you to be a good dad and he wants me to grow up to be a bad person too.
God said that if you can beat the bad man and be the best dad ever then I’ll have a great chance to be a great person just like you.
So here’s what you gotta do to beat the bad man. You have to love mom. You know, say nice things even when she’s having a bad hair day, remember her birthday, your anniversary and don’t look at my friend Tommy’s mom in the mall. That makes mom feel bad.
Only use the internet for work and to look up the news. I’ve been told there are a lot of bad things on the internet.
I know you like your job but God said that I’m more important. Don’t worry I know that you have to go to work so I can have that new car when I turn 16. Just kidding, but It was worth a try!
Don’t miss my first day of school, my first school play, my first catch and my first goal and whatever you do never miss my birthday party, even if you have to work in Alaska or something. You tell your boss I said you gotta be there and that’s final! Ha, ha.
Eat dinner with me at the dinner table, except for Friday’s when you bring home pizza and we get to eat in front of the TV. Tuck me in with a bed-time story and pray for me that I have good dreams about ice cream, picnics and playing with my brother and sister in the park.
This last thing that I’ve got to tell you is the most important. God said that you might want to sleep late Sunday mornings because you’re so tired but that you have to bring me to church where they teach about Jesus.
God said that Jesus is the most important person in our lives and that He loves our whole family very much. God said that Jesus is alive even though we can’t see Him but He lives in our hearts. That’s cool!
God said that only Jesus can help you beat the bad man so that you can become the best dad ever which is exactly what I want you to be.
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