Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - June/85

Contributor - Mark Bonnema

Title - Nightly Reflections

Topic - Father's Day

It's after midnight and I can't sleep. Doesn't happen often, but often enough to make me wonder sometimes if I inherited an insomniac gene from my mother, for whom the problem is more frequent. Oh well, it gives me the opportunity to check on my son. His mother, who is always cold, has covered him with two blankets. But Luke has my thermostat, and my body says it's a "no blanket" night. So off they come.

Gazing at your sleeping child is almost a mystical experience. Your mind is overwhelmed as you think of how that precious bundle sprawled in the crib is a work of God's creation through the bond of marital love. Being a parent is truly an awe inspiring experience.

Of course it's easier to wax philosophical about a child when he's sleeping than when he's awake: especially when he's two years old. When he's awake you have all you can do just to keep up with him. But when he's sleeping, watching him becomes a time of dreaming and planning - and praying. I wonder what Luke will be like as he grows up. I wonder what his interests will be; his strengths, his weaknesses, his fears, his joys. I wonder what kind of an impact my own personality will have on him.

How can I be a good father? Obviously spending time with my son is important ' I need to be willing to play with him even before he learns to play ball. Because it's his favourite game, I'll keep on playing "tent" with him under the covers of the bed even if it is stifling under there.

And of course spiritual instruction goes without saying in a Christian home. But I'll say it anyway. We can't hope to see Luke grow in the Lord unless he sees us growing in the Lord. Considering my vocation we're not likely to fall into the habit of "just dropping the kid off for Sunday School," but there are other traps we'll need to avoid. Such as the idea that Christianity and churchianity are the same thing. That could be spiritually fatal for a "p.k." who can come to resent the church because it takes his dad away from him so much.

I want to be the kind of father who helps his child to fully develop his God-given potential. That sounds about as easy as broad-jumping the Niagara Gorge, but perfectionism is not what I mean. I hope our son will learn to see himself as a child of God with gifts and abilities to use and enjoy.

Keeping watch over our son by night is getting tiring. Heavenly Father, thank you for picking up where I leave off. And I mean that in so many ways ...

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