Dads and Sons

Proverbs 4:20-27

“My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings.  Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart.  For they are life to those who find them and healing to all their flesh.  Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.  Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.  Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.  Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.  Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.”

My dad did not do a great job of teaching his children nor did I, but what he did do was live it out before us.  I often wish that he had taken time to share the truths he lived by with his children, and today as I reflect on his life my dad is my hero. He had a hard life but never complained, and he served as a friend to many a pastor and the members of the church.

Many of my dad’s sayings I recall and often quote in my writing and I regret that I was not attentive to his words; life would have been so much better.  I’m in the winter months of life and have put many of them into my heart, but I can only wonder how different it would have been if I had not allowed them to escape.

My dad shocked us one day when we were older and heard him use the word dam Yankees that was so much out of character for our dad, he guarded his speech, and yet he always was bold in his beliefs. 

As the youngest son I did not listen, I was the black sheep and a rule breaker, but not before my dad, for one paid a big price to disobey dad.  So I was devious, and my speech was crooked until I encountered Jesus Christ, and it took years to break the hold my flesh had on me; trying to get my needs met outside of Christ.

Now as an older man I’m learning the wisdom of these words; “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.  Put away from you crooked speech, and put devious talk far from you.  Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you.  Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure.  Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice