Update:
In a previous post, I mentioned the dogs I owned as a kid, as well as our current family dog (at the time), Marley, a Yorkshire Terrier. We now have three dogs in the single family dwelling: Marley, Peanut (owned by Taylor) and Moo (owned by Dawn), named due to her black markings on her white fur resembling a miniature cow. Marley, who was originally owned by Dawn but now considered “the family dog” is the veteran to the two yorkie-daschund pups being trained to poop outside. I’m glad they’re all small at least – I could not deal with a German Shepard, or a Pit Bull, or a Lab, or anything that eats more than me full time. Ownership of a pet may give you a peek of how your child handles responsibility in the future – walking the dog twice a day, feeding the dog, taking the dog to the vet and groomer (even if daddy is paying for it), paying for the annual license, taking ownership when the dog poops in unwanted places, etc. If you are a dog owner, you understand why I mentioned poop multiple times in one paragraph.
Took Dawn to see Mission: Impossible. Speaking of commitment, Tom Cruise is an example of faith in action. I’ve read news and entertainment articles that mention how Cruise actually did the plane jump, the motorcycle driving, the famous jump between buildings that resulted in a broken ankle, rock climbing and manned a helicopter. I respect that kind of dedication for my $10 matinee.
I talk about movies a lot, because its one of the things (like sneakers) that impacted me greatly as a child. In the 1970s, I could not think of seeing a first-run movie because my mom thought it was ridiculous to go to downtown Chicago and pay the ungodly sum of $3 for a movie (that, and the rats as big as toddlers under the seats). I would wait until what I wanted to see came to “neighborhood” theatres – old movie houses (multiplexes were a rarity, and only in the suburbs) that showed Enter The Dragon, The Poseidon Adventure, Three The Hard Way and more after their initial release; this was before VHS even. Neighborhood movie theatres had admission prices of $1 or even lower. I later learned that theatre owners actually are making their money from concessions, and most of the movie profits go back to the studio – you’re actually paying for a theatre owner’s “seat rental.” With streaming options like Netflix and Amazon Prime, I’m thinking of selling my entire movie collection. I can see what I want, whenever I want – and selling prices of Blu Rays and DVDs only decrease each year.
On this Sunday, I’d like to talk about faith. There’s a classic science fiction movie called The Incredible Shrinking Man about a guy, who through no fault of his own, gets sprayed by a strange mist while on vacation and begins to literally shrink. At first the man thinks that he’s losing weight, and his doctor tells him, “people just don’t get smaller.” Cut to the final scenes of the movie, after the shrinking man has fought a housecat and a basement spider and has been abandoned in his own home. The man is about the size of a pin head and can walk between the outdoor vents beneath his home. As he looks at the blades of grass that tower him, the shrinking man recognizes that instead of being a zero, he is actually a pioneer, the first of his kind. That he is being given first hand knowledge of understanding what truly is infinite. That he EXISTS.
Life can be rough. Members of your family have different needs. There may never seem to be enough resources, or your job/marriage may be on rocky ground. But you wake up each morning, you EXIST. God is not through with you yet. As the shrinking man had to consider – what should I takeaway from these experiences? Sometimes, even if you feel you gave 100%, you gotta give a little more. You gotta drive the motorcycle and climb the cliff and jump between buildings and expect to get hurt at times. But what if it was all gone? The kids who depend on you and are thankful for you, when others appear to not give a damn? It’s important to say thanks to your spouse and know that her job can be rough and complicated too, and make sure that the both of you share time together, even if it means getting some ice cream at the mall, going to the local park or buying appetizers and drinks at a favorite restaurant.
I’m here to tell you, if you need strength in your relationships, in your finances, in your health…you must have faith in that we have a God that can do anything, and nothing is impossible. It doesn’t mean you will be rubbing elbows with Jay Z and Beyonce tomorrow, but it may give you peace, understanding and confidence to be a better person that you were the previous day. It’s a disservice to tell our children that they can reach any goal (and they can) without you providing the template of defeating the odds, no matter what size.
From the Desk of Daddy D 