As a father I take the responsibility of raising Godly offspring very seriously. I pray daily that at the end, God will vouch for me as He vouched for Abraham. “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord…” Genesis 18:19 But nothing has challenged my‘fathering skills’ more than identifying my childrens’ purpose and calling in life.
As I watched my son stroll out of my office one early morning, walking with his unmistakable signature swagger, I knew without a doubt that God’s got my back. I wondered how the things we make turn around and make us. My son was coming of age and instinctively walking the path that I walked many years ago. No wonder the Lord said, “Let us make man in our own image… Let him reproduce and have his kind.” It’s the stuff that makes tears spring to a father’s eye.
As I started reflecting on the goodness of God and the events of that morning I quickly ran through the gamut of events. My son came to my office that morning.
“Hi,Pops” he said.
“Hello son”, I replied, wondering what brought my son out that early. I had resigned to the idea that 11am is the 6am of teenagers and young unemployed adults. Regrettably my kids have not bought into our lifestyle of ‘early to bed early to rise’.
“What’s going on,” I asked.
“Life, liberty and the pursuit”, he said. “Life is good right now. School is good, dad, basketball team is good, business is good, I’m good and you all are good. God is good!”
“Tell me about it, son,” I said, still tapping on my keyboard.
“Well our website is up, our orders are already filled, things couldn’t be better, dad.”
“I am very proud of you son,” I said.
“You and mom should consider investing in ‘CL’ before it gets late.”
“CL” is the acronym for ‘ChoseLife’, the brand name for a clothing line that he started in high school with one of his friends.
It was at that very moment that I realized that enrolling him in business school was the best decision that we made, or more appropriately, God helped us make. He is a natural and we almost missed it. The way we saw it, Oklahoma Baptist University was perfect forVictor: Christian school, small student population of less than 1, 500 and in a small town.
Victor has also settled on the idea of being a big fish in a small pond. I suspect he could see himself thriving as one of the few black boys in largely white population. “The less competition, the better” he would say. Besides, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma University and Oral Roberts are all within the vicinity and he could still hang out with his friends in those schools.
We had it all planned out. He loves sports and had wanted to become a sports analyst. We decided that the love of sports plus need to make a good living equals physical therapy. We had taken the better part of the last three years preparing him for a carrier in Physical Therapy. We talked to two of our neighbors who happen to be physical therapists and even enrolled him in one of the best internships for high school students intending to go into the medical field. Everything looked set for him to make a career out of it.
Everything, until the Lord changed the plan in a very dramatic fashion. We were led to visit Sam Houston State University. At the end of the first visit,we committed to a second visit and by the end of the second visit we were sold on the school and a different course of study. No, they were not that convincing, we were just good in following divine direction.
Our idea of what is perfect for our children is not always God’s idea. From the Christian School, small population of 1, 500, in a small town to a state school with a student population of 15, 000 Huntsville, Texas, the change in plan was dramatic.
You see, the signs were there that Victor was a natural with business. He can sell you anything and he loves the independence that money affords. I remember when I dared him to save $1,000 after he got his first job. Honestly, that was my way of discouraging him from demanding for his own car at 16. Victor took the challenge so seriously that he saved the money within 30 days working overtime that summer. We were almost blinded by the economic trends in the world, but the Holy Spirit redirected our footsteps.
Thank you Holy Spirit. “For with you is the fountain of Life; in your light we see light” Ps. 36:9
