Over the past few weeks, I have spent a lot of time 'shooting hoop' with our kids. Our oldest daughter, Natalie and our oldest boy, Brady are particularly fond of the game of basketball. We play a game that is known by many different names, depending on when you grew up--two ball poison, knock-out, and tornado--just to name a few. This game requires two basketballs and it is quite a fast-paced. I have always loved the game. The other night, all four of our kids and I were playing this game. The kids are at the age where I have to really play or I will get eliminated. For a small window of time, I found myself surrounded by our four children playing this game. In a few short minutes, our youngest son, Danny eliminated me from the game. I stood and watched the remainder of the game until a winner prevailed. It seemed to me that our children were very young, just the other day. I spent my time lifting them up to the basketball hoop, hoping that they would be able to make a shot.
I don't think that a person can spend too much time with their children. The time is gone before you can blink. Once the time is gone, the lingering memories, whether positive or negative, are what remain. I try hard to spend quality time with my family so that a 'constant' of positive memories will fill my heart and mind when they are off creating and raising their own families.
I work with a guy who has never had children of his own. He recently asked me if I had any children. I told him that we have four--two girls and two boys. His mouth fell wide open when I told him that. "How do you guys do that?" I told him that I was so grateful to be a father.
Following our conversation, I stopped and thought about what my life would be without a loving wife and children that enrich my life. The reality is, this is exactly the way my life was designed to be.
In the next day, or two, when I am releasing the basketball from my hands, I will be thinking about the privilege I have to experience the array of blessings that shower me on a daily basis. Even though I am eliminated from the game, I will spend my time rebounding the basketball for the others who remain in the game, and smiling because of the enjoyment I feel when we are together.
