New Year, New Dad, Old Lessons

Happy New Year to everybody! (It's Gabe, by the way.)

Had a great time hanging out with some friends last night... we dozed off during a movie but woke up just before midnight to welcome 2009.

Per my personal tradition, I watched "The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers" today (the extended editions of course). The last one, "The Return of the King," is next. I can't wait to read those books to Isaiah one day. And Batman comics. And the Chronicles of Narnia. As for the finer art of video game warfare, I can teach him how to draw a bead on a terrorist's head with a sniper rifle in "Ghost Recon." Well... that may come later. (Kara's relieved.)

Hard to believe in two months I'll be a brand new dad. Before I join the ranks of parenthood, I'd like to share a few "old" lessons that I've re-learned recently. They're far from original, but each one resonated with me.

1. It's not about me anymore. This little nugget finally registered this Christmas when Kara and I received some Christmas gifts for Isaiah, instead of for us. I thought, "Wow, people are buying stuff for him and he's not even here yet. He's stolen the spotlight!" I'm sure I'll be learning and re-learning this lesson repeatedly for the rest of my life. Some of you parents are laughing hysterically right now.
   
2. Don't sweat the small stuff. Admittedly, I sweat the small stuff. A lot. Like when our home security system company forgot to put a $4 credit on our bill. I got irritated and called instantly. But I'm improving! Last night we came home late from hanging out with friends, and there it was. A mound of fresh, brown turds. After living with us for 3 years, our dog Adrian still poops on the living room floor. Unbelievable. (I've actually told Adrian that one day, I'm going to drop a big one in her crate and put her in there to see how she likes it. "Yo, Adrian... I did it!") So how did I respond? I didn't raise my voice. I didn't call the pound. I spanked her on the nose (gently), told her "No" and put her in her crate. Easy. Done. Now if I could only do that every time...
   
3. Be the person you want your child to be. I want my son to have a Dad who lives what he says. As a youth pastor, I had students that were expected to serve God and "behave" with little to no role modeling at home. (Nothing ticks off a teenager faster than hypocrisy. They're oblivious to their own, but they can smell another person's duplicity like a rat.) My challenge is to live like Jesus to Isaiah the best I can, and beg God to let my sin die with me-- so it doesn't hinder my son. I want Isaiah to see that, even though I'm the adult, I'm not afraid to say "I'm sorry." I want him to see that I'm in love with his mother and Jesus more than anything else in the world. I want him to be better than me, to go further than me. That all starts right now, with how I live day in and day out.