Blessings for Awesome Parents

My good buddy from college just had a big party for his folks. They were turning 60 around the same time and their children all got together to honor them in a special way. We mingled with their parents friends (some drove from south Texas and elsewhere to be there) and my buddy and his sisters showed some pictures and had a toast. During the course of the evening, they did something that not many children do for their parents anymore -- they honored and blessed them! My friends parents developed a relationship with me and loved and cared for my wife and family. Their caring actions to "some friend of their son" was not unprecedented looking around the room at those that they have touched in a special way over the years.

I asked them to send me the text of the key piece of their presentation to their parents that meant the most to me. I can only hope that some day our children have reason to bless and honor us in a similar fashion. Read and enjoy. I intend to read this often and use it to "begin with the end in mind" as I parent our kids and look to the future.

"Our parents lived what they taught, setting a great example for us. They were involved in our lives, but gave us room to be ourselves. They provided boundaries, helping us learn to set our own. They checked out who our friends were and intervened when they didn’t like what they saw. Most of all, they did all these things to point us to Jesus and keep us on the straight and narrow path. It was often hard, and we would stray a few steps – but they would stop us before we went too far – and lovingly – yet firmly guide us back. As a parent now, I see how hard it is to let your child face the world without you (and I’m just talking about pre-school). What better way to prepare them for the inevitable pain and disappointment of the world than to show them the only ONE who will always face it with them.

Thank you for:
· Loving us
· Disciplining us
· Leading us, teaching us to follow and teaching us how to lead
· Providing for our needs…and our wants – often at your own sacrifice
· Teaching us about life, but most importantly about God and Salvation
· Guiding us to make wise choices and giving us room to do so
· Letting us learn from making bad ones too
· Making us go to church every Sunday – and stay awake and not talk during the service
· Choosing to send three kids to church camp and choir tour every summer, even though it meant not getting to go places you wanted to go.
· Loving our friends
· Knowing who our friends were (and their parents too)
· Giving us room to grow, but not letting us go too far
· Giving us rules and boundaries and letting us know when we crossed them
· Letting us have fun but also learn when to be serious too
· Teaching us what God says in the bible especially how much He loves us
· Living out what you were teaching
· For believing you were responsible to God for how you raised us – which affected everything you did, said, read and watched on TV.

And thank you for engaging in the one thing you can do for us no matter where you are or what you are doing – praying for us. Even in the last few weeks, we have seen God answer the prayer requests mom has shared with her BSF ladies. Most of all, we thank you for the foundation you provided us from God’s word – that has shaped who we are today."