Advice #18
ADVICE DAD NEVER GAVE YOU
Ralph Sorter
Kids need their parents to dream…then help them make the dreams come true. I’m referring to the dreams we parents have for the future of our children.
I remember as a young father cradling my first born son, Kevin in my hands. So small, so handsome, so fragile, yet I saw a full-grown football player. I imagined miniature shoulder pads, helmet and cleats on him. I couldn’t wait for him to grow up so we could play catch and wrestle him to the ground as he tries to plow through me on the lawn.
At age 14 it all came crashing down as cancer and an amputation of his left leg destroyed those dreams. I remember that first night beside his bed after we brought him home after the surgery. We looked at 14 trophies on his dresser of his short career in sports. He said to me, “No more trophies, Dad. But I’ll be able to run again in Heaven.” I buried my head in my pillow that night and many more nights to come. Then his eyes looked deeply into mine…he was searching for a new dream from Dad…a dream that would take him through this crisis and fix the heart on a new goal.
The new dream? That he would see the gold mine of a heart that God put within him to help others. Today he’s making that dream come true. He teaches other handicapped people to water and snow ski, and he is a licensed prosthetic fitter. I have another new dream for him – I envision him walking down the isle with a godly helpmate some day…someday soon.
Some days are overwhelming as an adult. For a child who has limited power and abilities that feeling is even greater. That’s all the more reason they need to hear the dreams you have for them. Dreams are where foes are defeated and they come out a hero. Learn to read their eyes, figure out what they need, then dream “Jacob” size dreams. You can dream esteem-building size dreams when your own eyes are focused on the source of strength – your relationship with Jesus Christ.
A Message from HOPE’S
Marriage & Family Ministry
ADVICE DAD NEVER GAVE YOU
Ralph Sorter
Kids need their parents to dream…then help them make the dreams come true. I’m referring to the dreams we parents have for the future of our children.
I remember as a young father cradling my first born son, Kevin in my hands. So small, so handsome, so fragile, yet I saw a full-grown football player. I imagined miniature shoulder pads, helmet and cleats on him. I couldn’t wait for him to grow up so we could play catch and wrestle him to the ground as he tries to plow through me on the lawn.
At age 14 it all came crashing down as cancer and an amputation of his left leg destroyed those dreams. I remember that first night beside his bed after we brought him home after the surgery. We looked at 14 trophies on his dresser of his short career in sports. He said to me, “No more trophies, Dad. But I’ll be able to run again in Heaven.” I buried my head in my pillow that night and many more nights to come. Then his eyes looked deeply into mine…he was searching for a new dream from Dad…a dream that would take him through this crisis and fix the heart on a new goal.
The new dream? That he would see the gold mine of a heart that God put within him to help others. Today he’s making that dream come true. He teaches other handicapped people to water and snow ski, and he is a licensed prosthetic fitter. I have another new dream for him – I envision him walking down the isle with a godly helpmate some day…someday soon.
Some days are overwhelming as an adult. For a child who has limited power and abilities that feeling is even greater. That’s all the more reason they need to hear the dreams you have for them. Dreams are where foes are defeated and they come out a hero. Learn to read their eyes, figure out what they need, then dream “Jacob” size dreams. You can dream esteem-building size dreams when your own eyes are focused on the source of strength – your relationship with Jesus Christ.
A Message from HOPE’S
Marriage & Family Ministry
ADVICE DAD NEVER GAVE YOU
Ralph Sorter
Kids need their parents to dream…then help them make the dreams come true. I’m referring to the dreams we parents have for the future of our children.
I remember as a young father cradling my first born son, Kevin in my hands. So small, so handsome, so fragile, yet I saw a full-grown football player. I imagined miniature shoulder pads, helmet and cleats on him. I couldn’t wait for him to grow up so we could play catch and wrestle him to the ground as he tries to plow through me on the lawn.
At age 14 it all came crashing down as cancer and an amputation of his left leg destroyed those dreams. I remember that first night beside his bed after we brought him home after the surgery. We looked at 14 trophies on his dresser of his short career in sports. He said to me, “No more trophies, Dad. But I’ll be able to run again in Heaven.” I buried my head in my pillow that night and many more nights to come. Then his eyes looked deeply into mine…he was searching for a new dream from Dad…a dream that would take him through this crisis and fix the heart on a new goal.
The new dream? That he would see the gold mine of a heart that God put within him to help others. Today he’s making that dream come true. He teaches other handicapped people to water and snow ski, and he is a licensed prosthetic fitter. I have another new dream for him – I envision him walking down the isle with a godly helpmate some day…someday soon.
Some days are overwhelming as an adult. For a child who has limited power and abilities that feeling is even greater. That’s all the more reason they need to hear the dreams you have for them. Dreams are where foes are defeated and they come out a hero. Learn to read their eyes, figure out what they need, then dream “Jacob” size dreams. You can dream esteem-building size dreams when your own eyes are focused on the source of strength – your relationship with Jesus Christ.