HOUSE OF ROBERTS BLOG

I know that I talk a lot about making moments with your children, but that’s because I really believe in them. Notice as well that I didn’t ask, “When was the last time you HAD a moment?” I said make, because I believe that life-impacting moments don’t just happen, they are intentionally created. I’m not saying that there won’t be moments that just happen and you can embrace with your family, I’m just suggesting that we shouldn’t leave it all up to chance. Yes, we need to embrace the moments that just come upon us, but let’s also be dads who intentionally plan out moments to have with our children.

God, actually modeled this for us. We see a few times when God had “a moment” with Jesus. Matthew 3:13-17, is one of the accounts where Jesus is baptized. After he comes up out of the water, a dove descends upon him, and the voice of His father is heard saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” What a moment that a father has with his son?! He publicly declares his love and pleasure for his boy. God is all about having moments with His children, and we need to follow His lead.

I think this on my mind right now because I am in the process of creating a moment for my first born. He turns ten this week, which is crazy to think about. I have been a parent for ten years already. It is said that as a parent, the days are long but the years are short, and how true that is. Anyway, Gabrielle and I feel like this birthday is meant to be a moment for us to leverage. This is a big deal; he will be going into a new decade and not just any decade. This is a decade where his body will begin to change, where how he feels about girls will change. In this decade, he will have to learn how to guard his purity, where he will make the decision to follow God not because of his parents but because he has decided to. He will drive this decade, graduate this decade, and get his first job in this decade. This will be the last decade where I will have the most influence in his life. Don’t get me wrong, I know that my voice will always carry weight in his life, but by the time he turns twenty, hopefully, I have led him to a place where his Heavenly Father is the one who has the most influence on him. Excuse me while I weep for a second…Okay, I’m back.

I have ideas of what I want to do, and when I have it flushed out I’ll share with you what I did, but in the meantime, I want to encourage you Dad to see a moment coming up for your sons and daughters, and to take some time to make a plan to celebrate it. As you do, let me give you a few tips and advice.

Pray about it first. You’re probably like, “Mike, I have no idea what to do. I’m not that type of person.” Well God is, and He gave you His Holy Spirit to teach and guide you. So pray and ask God what you should do, and then listen. 

Get advice from other dads. This may be a new concept to you, so don’t be afraid to get some earthly wisdom. Ask other dads, who have already raised sons and daughters, and see what they did. Then you can steal the idea or adjust it a bit to better fit your family.

It doesn’t have to be expensive. Moments don’t have to cost a lot. They may require some investment but you do not have to break the bank to make a meaningful moment. 

Leverage moments that life has already given you. You don’t have to manufacture a moment, life already gives you organic ones so play off of those. For me, it is my son turning ten, but it could be the first day of middle school or when your child turns thirteen. It could be their last day of school or the day they get their driver’s license. It could be after the opening night of the play that they are in, or after their first day of work. Life is full of meaningful moments, so look ahead and build off of one of those.  

Have fun with this. This isn’t mean to be a chore, homework, or something that you are guilted into doing. These will be moments that you will cherish and smile at when you look back on them.

Go out there and create a moment, Dad! It will become a bonding moment for you and your children, and neither of you will be the same afterwards. Now, I pray that the Holy Spirit gives you a vision for this, that He would give you ideas and insight on what you are to do, and that He would be present during that moment. Have fun!