“Teach
your children well. When grown, they’ll
stay on the right path.” ~ Proverbs 22:6
Jon loved books – they were his
muse, his inspiration, his escape.
Friends suspected that he was never completely in reality; a
little piece of him was always in a distant land, on a fantasy adventure or in
the middle of a mystery.
Some of the happiest hours of his life were spent in dusty,
damp used-bookshops. There he’d
discovered mummified silverfish, pressed flowers and an occasional love letter in
books long undisturbed on their shelves.
What a delight it was to find the word “rare” penciled on the title page
by the bookseller, though the fact that the book remained unsold for years,
possibly decades, suggested that buyers were scarcer still.
Today, like most of
his bookstore journeys, he had no real goal other than the casual browsing that
offered time with his young daughter Liza.
Jon watched lovingly as she roamed the kid’s section quietly perusing
several possibilities. Liza too, loved
the shop; maybe because she never came home without a book. Or perhaps it was just the time alone with her
Dad that she revered.
He slowly made his rounds “surfing” the Mystery section,
then the reference and history books before stopping among the Religion
books. Jon pulled out an oddly familiar
book and tried to image what secrets lay behind its badly worn, burgundy-leather
cover. Contrary to the popular cliché,
judging a book by its cover was both effective and entertaining.
The rib’s title intrigued him: “The Most Important Things in
Life Aren’t Things.” He opened it. On the first page, Jon was shocked to see in
familiar hand writing, his own name. It
had been a gift from his (now late) grandfather that he’d misplaced years ago. Next to his name, Jon’s grandfather wrote, “I
hope you rediscover this book someday when you’re older, and it makes you think
about the important things in life.” And
so he did.
No matter who we are, where we live, or what our goals may
be, we all have one thing in common: a heritage. That is, a social, emotional and spiritual
legacy passed on from parent to child. Today,
if we don't intentionally pass a legacy consistent with our beliefs to our
children, our culture will pass along its own, often leading to a disastrous
end. As parents, we’re responsible for
the process. God is responsible for the
product. We can’t do God's job, and He
won't do ours.
Heavenly Father, it’s hard for me to
comprehend all the incredible miracles You’ve performed since the beginning of
time. Help me remain consistent and
steadfast in showing our children the moral path and teaching them about You
Lord. Amen
