The Perfect Parent

Trying to process some thoughts in my head lately regarding parenting and image and perceived perfection. My kids are at the age where they LOVE to play with Dad, hang with Dad, throw the frisbee with Dad, wrestle with Dad, and just about do anything with Dad. And they seem to think that Dad can do no wrong (unless we are arguing about bed-time, no more snacks, etc.). When I tell them I love them, they always come back and say "I love you more!". I love being a super-hero at home!

Problem is, one of these days real soon, they will realize Dad can do wrong, and does. I'm so far from perfect, and make plenty of mistakes on a regular basis. I really want to communicate my humanness in a way that sets a high standard, but also makes room for our struggles and mistakes and failures. Faith, God, sin, sinlessness, failure, perfection, character, beyond-reproach, church, Christianity, life, prayer, spirituality, life! I still haven't found the balance personally, and so I struggle with how to pass along the balance to my kids as they approach their "young men" years. I don't want them to be disillusioned.

On one hand, I know that simply being aware of these issues part of the battle. I also know that a certain percentage of the battle is purely dependant on their choices & decisions as they get older, and I cannot control that part at all. But whatever that other percentage is that I can control by my actions and words and life, I want to do my best at it! I want to give my children the best opportunity possible to succeed spiritually first, emotionally second, and the rest will come.

Being a good parent, and giving your children a chance to succeed in life has a lot to do with being a good person in as many aspects of life as possible. It's about accepting people and accepting yourself. It's about being able to laugh at yourself. It's about loving, and being loved. It's about sacrifice. And it's about connecting with God! It's not about doing all of these in a perfect way ... it's just about pursuing each of them to the best of your ability!

I love Sammy and Noah! I hope and pray that I can be real enough with them and myself that the world is a better place because of our lives! But most importantly, I hope and pray that they experience and know the God of their father, and their father's father!