It is a sobering fact. It’s almost half-time at our house, and I’m talking about something far bigger than any ball game. Greater even than the Super Bowl, I am speaking about what could be called the “Soul Bowl.” You see, half of the time my wife and I have with our children before they go off to college and start their own lives is just about gone! We’ve been blessed to have the “home field advantage” for a number of years, but it won’t be too long before other playing fields enter into the picture, and this, of course, is as God designed it (Matt. 19:4-6). But there will also be plenty of those “away” games in what can only be described as hostile territory, places where Satan will try to find holes in my children’s defenses so he can score. And the opposition’s “crowd” won’t be nearly as friendly as the home crowd!
Yes, its almost half-time at the Vestal house. And as any good sports junky knows, halftime is a time for evaluation and adjustment. It’s’ a time for strategy and for making necessary changes. And it’s important to do this even when the score may be in our favor. One thing is sure: the opposition isn’t just going to lay down and die. In far too many homes, Satan is “Captain Comeback.” After all, the devil is the master of misdirection; he’s had so long to perfect his fakes, traps and blitzes. His short passes are like darts, and his bombs are legendary (Eph. 6:10-18). We’re definitely talking about “Hall of Shame” stuff here. But what’s more, the Devil’s no quitter. He knows that it isn’t over until the trumpet sounds (1 Thess. 4:16-18; Rev. 12:12).
It’s nearly half-time at my house, so it’s time for this dad to consider the score. I need to see the pictures of the highlights (and lowlights) of the first half, to get the injury report on the priceless players God has given me to coach (Psalm 127:1-5; Prov. 22:6) and to see what adjustments need to be made in the game plan with its X’s and O’s. But as my kids’ “coach,” I also need to use this time to encourage them-to remind them that victory IS possible, indeed assured, because of Jesus as we trust and obey Him (2 Cor. 2:14; 1 John 5:4). God, the team owner and general manager, only makes the right moves. He has provided the personnel, facilities and equipment to get the job done.
No matter what the score, half-time should be humbling to us dads as coaches. I am reminded of how short the time we have with our kids really is (cf. Eph. 5:16). Dads, the season is incredibly short, so take full advantage of your opportunities now! Before we know it, they’re grown. And unlike sports, there is no “next” season. Oh, how this “coach” should have played and laughed with his kids more during the first half. To be sure, we’ve had our share of fun (and then some), but this coach could have made the first half even more enjoyable for his players with a little more imagination and improvisation. Sometimes coaches are guilty of predictably just “grinding it out.” This may occasionally be effective in sports, but it’s also always boring. And it doesn’t work when constantly practiced in our homes.
As this coach contemplates half-time, he could have better distinguished between majors and minors. I could have been thankful for every yard that was gained even when every play may not have been a touchdown. I could have been more thankful that penalties, including personal fouls, were kept to a bare minimum. This dad could have fussed less at his players and encouraged them more. He could have seen their talent and greatness as God made them, and not occasionally forced them to play “out of position.”
This coach could have remembered that for all their talent and greatness, his players were still only “rookies,” not veterans. Despite society’s pressure (and sometimes their dad’s) to make them too old too soon, they are children, not adults.
Finally, this dad-coach is humbled at half-time by the realization that he should have made sure that his kids saw even more of Jesus in their dad. I am not ashamed to say that I love the Lord and sincerely try to serve Him. However, I am ashamed to say that too often my thoughts, words and actions are not what God desires them to be. May God, my family and friends forgive me!
What’s the score at your house? How’s your game plan? Are you in the first quarter as a parent? Is it about halftime for you, too? Maybe the two minute warning has just signaled for you as a parent. Whatever your status may be as a parent, COACH TO WIN! May we truly be able to say, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Josh. 24:15)
-Mike Vestal
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