Faithful readers may remember one of my first posts here where I wrote about a time from my childhood when, as a 7 year-old baseball player, my Daddy taught me that when church and sports came into a scheduling conflict, our commitment to the Lord was deeper and longer-standing. I have always remembered that day and I set the same standard in my own family. Last week, though, I learned that there was more to the story.
Last week, my family and I traveled to my parents' home, as did many other family members, to celebrate my grandmother's birthday. While we were together, Daddy told me about a time when he was in school playing football. That year many of their games were scheduled for Wednesdays after school. Now the home games were usually over in time to get to church, but road games were a different story. My grandfather told the coach that they had church, and that his son would not be playing in those games. The coach countered asking: "If I can have him at church on time, will you let him play?" My grandfather consented, and the coach kept his word. The bus stopped by the church on the way back to the school and dropped my father off. The next road game, though, was too far away, and they played without Daddy that night.
The decisions that I make, to raise my children to keep first things first, was guided by my grandfather, even though I had not heard that story before. The pattern that is being impressed upon my children by me, was impressed upon me by my father, whose father impressed it upon him. Whether or not we want to acknowledge it, we are teaching our children what is important, and they will remember. Make it count.