Just as I Am: Father's Day

Our 8-year-old has been taking karate lessons for the past several months.

one of my favorite lines that the instructor repeats often is this:

we only use these moves for self-defense. Never to fight, and never on siblings. ;-)

Grant's earned his way up 3 belts, and we've seen in build confidance, self-control, and coordiantion -

all good qualities for an 8-year-old-boy to improve upon.

Last week I had a conference with one of the instructors during classtime to talk about how we've seen Grant improve, and to inform me of the future class options. As we started the conference the Sensei asked me several questions about Grant, and then we got to this one:

What kind of man do you want Grant to grow into in the future,

and how do you think martial arts could help that?

as I paused, I saw Grant out of the corner of my eye round-house-kicking and forward-lunging through the two-way-mirror,

and I all-of-a-sudden bit back tears in that small, humid karate office.

for as my heart and mind flash-forwarded Grant to the man I'd like him to become,

I realized there's nothing I'd rather him be than a man like his Dad is.

I envisioned Grant loving his wife and his family with an unswerving, unshakeable loyalty and love, just as Matt has done for us. I envisioned Grant full of integrity...that that man that people will know the adult Grant to be will be the man that he is in private. My heart envisioned Grant being rooted and built up in the Word of God, and fervently and steadfastly preaching and teaching that Word, proclaiming His glory for all to hear.

I bit back my tears in that karate office, and told the Sensei I wanted Grant to love his God, his wife, and his family well, an answer I'm sure that instructor did not see coming.

But there's no other answer I'd rather have for the question of

What kind of man do I want Grant to be?

than a man just like his daddy.

Happy Father's day to the man who points us all to Him.

we love you so much, Matt! Thanks for loving us so well.