Pop was, well . . . quite parental in his approach to parenting. I needed, however, his parentalness (is that a word??). Warning: the following will sound preachy and a bit parental. As leaders, our drive to make people comfortable with us should not cause us to avoid an occasional "word to the wise." In life, ministry, and in my fast moving car, there are things to avoid and other things we should not sleep through.
Pop and I were huge baseball fans. Before the day of interstate driving our yearly 14 hour drive to Vineland brought us through downtown Baltimore. We drove through the night so I seldom saw downtown Baltimore. Pop would always wake me up to say, "I just saw Boog Powell (former first baseman, Baltimore Orioles, 1961-1977) hitch hiking when we drove through Baltimore. The car moves quickly, there are some things we should not sleep through.
Standing in Dino's Restaurant one night, my non-smoking dad offered me a cigarette and encouraged me to take a puff. I am not sure my age at the time but very young. As I strangled a puff down, the cigarette began to explode. The point? He wanted me to have a really a bad experience with a cigarette. That is the last time I had one. The car moves quickly, there are some things we should avoid.
Self-audit: What will you sleep through today? Who or what are you missing? What are you puffing on that is choking you and about to blow up in your face? What habit, hurt, or hang-up is doing damage to your relationship with God and others?
My conversations with movement makers yesterday: Greg Abrams (Lakepoint, Lexington); Tom Dalik (LifeNet House Church Network, Columbia); Richard Swift (Cedar Creek, Aiken); Eric Geiger (Christ Fellowship, Miami); Randy Fergueson (North American Mission Board); Steve Stewart (New Horizon, Lancaster). Off to Spartanburg today.
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