My dad grew up in an alcoholic home. His life was destined to repeat the patterns from his father. He did not grow up hearing about Jesus or God. In May of 1972, my dad found himself in the hospital with 2nd and 3rd degree burns over the lower portion of his body. While he was recovering from the burns, a few floors away, my mother was giving birth to me.
While my dad was sitting in the hospital bed, he opened up the Gideon Bible from the side table and began to read. As he did, the Holy Spirit used the Scriptures to show him that he needed Jesus. And in that hospital bed, two days after I was born, my dad gave his life to Jesus.
I am thankful that I grew up in a home where my dad and mom loved Jesus. Jesus became the driving force of our family. My mom began decorating our home with Bible verses. We had a large family Bible opened on the living room table. Our daily conversations would turn to the Bible and Jesus.
When there was something wrong with one of our vehicles, dad would do the repairs. There were many days he and I would be laying under the Pontiac and he would be talking about something he learned in his Bible study, or something he heard from a preacher on tape.
Each night before bed, we would gather in the living room and dad would read a story. Sometimes he would read from Bible story picture books, or character sketches books. But we always ended our day with the Bible and prayer.
Deuteronomy 6:7-9
7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
My dad and mom took Deuteronomy 6 literally. They wanted to diligently teach me and my brother to love the law of God. Our parents were intentional in keeping God’s word on our mind every day. By keeping it on our mind, it found its way into our heart.
Parents, you have an opportunity to diligently instruct your children in the way of King Jesus. Every day you have the privilege of helping your son or daughter grow deeper in their understanding of who God is. The intentionality you demonstrate in their daily lives today will reap great rewards in the future.
