Fatherly Advice
“I already know, Dad.”
I had my doubts in the confidence that exuded from my oldest son, Caden, as he took the car keys from me. He put the car in drive and sped off entirely too fast with the DMV in the rear view mirror.
I had a lot of thoughts that flowed through my mind.
“I wish I was 15 years old again so that I would already know everything.”
“The DMV signed off on you after 20 minutes and are putting the lives of 1000’s in jeopardy. They should be required to ride with you for the next 6 months, not me!”
“You may know everything, but I’ve got 25 years of experience on you.”
Instead, I just started barking orders like a Marine drill sergeant. It’s funny how things come full circle. It seems like just yesterday I was giving the same instructions to my own father when I was 15. With an eye roll and a sigh of disgust, I would listen to instructions that I already knew like checking my blind spot and not going backwards when I wasn’t looking in that direction.
My dad told me once, “I know that you are 15 and already know everything, but give me the pleasure of pretending like I’m teaching you something and just listen.”
Your heavenly Father knows just how you feel, dad.
“If my people would only listen to me, if Israel would only follow my ways,” Psalm 81:3
For some reason we treat our heavenly Father the same way. You may be a religious straight-A student who has heard all the Bible stories and has Bible drill medals to prove it. God may be attempting to speak to you through others and his word about your brokenness, but you are reluctant to listen to Him and do what He says. Maybe he is trying to get your attention to get behind the wheel, take a risk, and share hope with your neighbor.
What else has God got to do to get your attention?
“Dad, I hit a tree.”
Now before you go feeling sorry for him, the tree had been in the same place for the past 50 years. It was in just the right spot for where a 15 year-old who wasn’t looking behind would back right into it.
I like to think my Heavenly Father planted it there to remind my son that maybe his old man may still know a few more things than he does and also as a catalyst to get his first job to pay for a dented tailgate.
