Last week I looked up to thank God for our family’s unexpected
blessings when a shooting star flitted across the northern sky. My gratitude and my smile grew bigger.
As a dad with four kids, I have plenty of opportunities to
be proud and an abundance of moments for correction. Many of them come when, like many of you, I’m
coaching my kids in their sports teams.
Pride wells up in me when my son drives the lane and finds the elusive
layup to take the lead. My chest puffs
up when my kid rockets that red seamed missile at a short stop who tags out the
offending runner at second base. My ego
swells when my progeny rips a backhand crosscourt for a winner in a tight
match. Yet that moment of gratitude was a
different kind of pride from the normal kid achievements. It was one filled with joy and thankfulness; I
believe you can enjoy it too.
Allow me a moment to share how the gloriously gracious
experience arrived. It all started with
a different kind of vacation, or rather a “stay-cation.” For those who are unfamiliar with how one of
these breaks work, you basically take a mental hiatus and stay home. We were grateful to enjoy a week of rest,
something our family had been looking forward to for months. Yet this time, instead of the usual adventure
camping, beach-bumming, or family visit trip, our car stayed in the
driveway. No, we didn’t stay in bed and
sleep the week away; instead we picked a rather large project and worked
together on it as a family at home for the entire week.
Cell phones were shut off and congregation members were in
the dark as to our where-abouts, so very few people knew that we were still
located in Sparta for the whole week. We
ordered a big pile of lumber and several buckets of screws/nails to be
delivered by a local building supply company.
Then we began work on our pole-barn.
Yes, it was hot. Yes, we were
sweaty. Yes, it was work. And yet, my soul found peace as I traded
counseling, organizing, and teaching for swinging hammers, cutting with saws,
and lifting lumber for a full week. I
won’t stretch the truth: the first
couple days of sunrise to sunset work was tough for my kids and more times than
one saw me correcting their work-ethic, but it was worth it.
It was Friday night when the joyously grateful shooting star
moment was gifted to me. The day had seen many sights on the Wiles
family property. Gabriel at twelve years
old was taking great pride in being the “chop saw” operator for the day. Ten year old Ethan was proud of his steady
hand and fast pace as he felt the automatic bounce of the roofing nailer in his
hands. Micah was happy as a lark as his
five-year old hands grasped a hammer to pound nail heads, countersinking them
into the soft Tennessee pine. Even Clara
broke into a smile as her three older brothers cheered her on while she swung
the mini sledge hammer at the concrete that needed adjustment. The day was made even sweeter as my lovely
bride brought out the fizzy root beer floats for our afternoon siesta in the
shade. As I stood alone on top of the
pole barn at the end of the night with a splinter in my thumb and a stiffness
in my back, I had a deep sense of joyful pride in my heart as I reflected on
the memories of the week. When the shooting
star passed, I simply thanked God again.
Families need regular time to work together, to cooperate, to
encourage each other, and to cheer each other on as they complete a goal. It is essential that children and adults
alike find time to look back over a project and be grateful for what they were
able to achieve together. Fathers find contentment when they know they’ve
passed down a skill to their sons.
Mothers find fulfillment when they’ve invested time working side-by-side
with their daughters. For me and my
family, much our focus in the last couple years has been on my professional
work, our hectic sports schedules, or our busy destination style vacations that
often left me needing a rest when we returned.
It was a surprise at the end of the week to feel so rested and joyful
even though our family had worked so hard on our stay-cation.
I wish someone had told me about the benefits of family
projects years ago when we started our family.
Just Google the words “family project ideas” and you’ll be amazed at the
variety of websites packed with ideas to enjoy together as parents invest time
with their children. You can rebuild a
lawnmower engine together, build a treehouse, lay a brick sidewalk, make a
family tree, paint a mural on a bedsheet, plant a flower garden for the nursing
home, paint the bedrooms a new color, and so much more. Your idea may be a challenge, but with a
little patience and caring correction, you and your kids will look back on your
time invested, your goals achieved, and your cooperative success with a joyful
and grateful smile too. May you be
blessed in all your family adventures as you train up your children in the way
they should go.
The word “forte” comes from the latin word “fortis” meaning strength. Our weekly Family Forte article in The Expositor is the effort of family at Central Church of Christ to give your family the love, care, and attention it needs to become a stronger version of itself. If we can help you in any way, please contact us at Central Church of Christ through email, topherwiles@spartacoc.com, or through our website, www.spartacoc.com.