A year ago Yesterday

There will be 364 days in 2009 that if you asked me what all happened a year ago on that day I would have no clue. But yesterday is the exception; Gwen, Eli, and myself celebrated Eli's 1st birthday. And by celebrating I mean we went to Subway for $5 foot longs; which had a whole lot more to do with Gwen and I wanting to eat. But none the less we have all survived the adventure of our first year as a three-some; which has been the most exciting year as a family!

Eli's godfather, my best friend from college, was recently through St. Louis for a day and we got to spend some time together. Over lunch he asked me how being a father had changed my life. And it has changed every aspect of how I approach life.

Most importantly being a dad has increased my responsibility to lead a life worth reproducing. What I have found to be increasing true is how much he, Eli, watches and replicates my every move. Making it incredibly important that I am intentional about living my life in the same manner that I want him to live his. But this is true for everybody, not just parents, leaders, or pastors.

In life the generation or age group before us has got hawk eyes on our life patterns. Grade schoolers look up to middle schoolers, who are admiring high schoolers, who are replicating the lives of college students, who are adopting the life patterns of their parents. This pattern is simply inescapable. Which leads us all to ask ourselves; would we want our current life to be fully and totally reproduced and repeated in the life of someone else? Someone is watching us and will do just that.

About a month ago Eli and I were at breakfast. We were next to a table of a father and his two adult sons. Before their server had even set their plates down they were pointing out all the things she had done wrong, lead by the elderly father. No doubt this was a learned behavior. The other night Eli and I were out shopping. We had left Aldi to go to Walmat, which is simply crossing one street going straight into another parking lot. I snapped Eli into his seat but did not bother to buckle my own seat belt. As we drove I realized I would never leave Eli unsecured even for the shortest distance, but I made a completely different decision for myself. Great example Dad.

So when it comes to faith issues, where it matters more than anything else, are we living the life we want to see others live? Naturally their will be holes in our lives, but are we being intentional about limiting them? Someone somewhere is watching you as an example on how to live their life; is your life what you want them to reproduce in theirs?