Staying Connected

As a dad, I have the responsibility to show the love of God the Father to my children. When my sons think of what a dad's love looks like, what it feels like, I am their point of reference. If from me, they experience love and care and understanding, they can more easily have a sense of what the love of God is like. As I read Galatians 6:4 recently, I was reminded of a time when I had to help our older son understand the love of God the Father.

When Parker was around three years old, our family was going through a period of transition. His little brother was on the way, we were moving into a new house and he was adjusting to new classrooms and teachers at church and at his preschool. It was alot for an adult to process through, much less a three year old. As a result, Parker began to have trouble every time we would leave him in a class. It became a matter of prayer as we had to do something because the drop-off process (he always got better moments after we left the room) was becoming quite painful for both us and him.

One morning, I had an idea to try to help Parker feel like he was always connected to us. At the time he carried a miniature Adidas backpack on which I placed two caribiners (the D-shaped spring clips often used on ropes courses). When we dropped him off in his preschool class, I unhooked one of the caribiners and kept it with me, promising Parker that I would be back later to pick him up and reconnect our caribiners (he called them hooks). If he thought of us during the day, he could look at his "hook" and know we would return for him. When I picked him up at the end of the day, he helped me reconnect the hooks. Before long, he realized that even though we might not be with him in his room, we were always with him.

Here's The Point: While simple in concept, the use of the caribiners allowed me to teach my son about the love of God. He knew that I loved him; he had a constant reminder of my love; and he knew that I would be back to get him. All things that God the Father has promised us.