Change I Actually Believe in

I spent Fathers Day with my family peering over the edge of a cliff at the Garden of the Gods.  That's not so revolutionary until I remember three years ago I only wanted two presents:  Peace and Quiet!  Instead, I was excited to haul my two year old around the rocks chasing my 6 year old!

It seems that I don't notice changes in my attitude/character until something crazy happens, like preferring to hike with a pregnant wife and two children rather than watch tv all day.

I was thinking how oblivious we can be, sometimes, to our own needs for maturity and growth.  How many people enjoy examining themselves searching for character flaws?   

So it wasn't a good idea to be reading a section of 1 Corinthians 11 that night.  I got stuck on the phrase, "Let a person examine himself..."  

Now I'm getting better at how I respond when a trusted friend calls me on something.  But "Examine himself"? That's coming MUCH slower.  But it's coming.  

And I wonder, how can I help my children be better at this than I am?  

My goal as a dad has become to face and deal with my junk so my kids don't have to...  They'll have enough of their own!  So how do I instill in them the habit of checking their blind spots?  

I had a chance already this week.  We were eating dinner and I thought I heard my son kicking his chair.  I said, "stop" and took a bite.  The kicking continued.  I said it a little louder, "STOP."  ...

The kicking CONTINUED.  

Finally I put my hand on my son's arm, shook it a little and said, "Son, you HAVE to listen to Dad when I'm talking to you."  

And my wife says, "He's not doing that.  Your daughter is."  

I HATE BEING WRONG!

Couple that with the fact that I LOVE being right and I faced a dilemma.  

I could have shrugged it off and kept eating.  I could have transferred the speech to the beautiful girl kicking her high chair.

Instead, I grabbed my son's hand and apologized.  

I was wrong and had to admit it.  I was wrong and chose not to make excuses.

Hopefully that becomes a habit with me.

But even more importantly, I hope I'm building that as a foundation in the lives of my children.  

That, and laughing at the sound of bodily functions, of course!