FATHERING LEADERSHIP

PRAY | TO HEAVENLY FATHER

“Dear Heavenly Father,

I thank thee…  [use your own words]

I ask thee…   [use your own words]

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.”

READ STORY | FRIEND OR ENEMY

The secret hide-out was going to be great fun. Harry and Tommy had been working on it after school for two days and had made considerable progress. Their plan was to finish digging a wide trench, cover it with wooden boards, and then top that with dirt, leaves, and branches to completely conceal it from others.

Its location was supposed to be secret. But Tommy was so excited about their attempt he bragged at school that his hide-out was going to be the best in the world and proclaimed “No one will find it.”

His challenge was taken up by a curious red haired neighbor boy who was suddenly caught watching Harry and Tommy at work on their hide-out.

Tommy yelled at him to leave and picked up a dirt clod and threw it toward the onlooker. Before Harry could stop him, Tommy picked up another dirt clod and sent it flying toward the boy. As soon as Harry reached Tommy, he told him not to worry about him. He was just jealous of their great hut. But Tommy was still angry because their hide-out had been found.

“You can’t play with us,” yelled Tommy.

“I wouldn’t play with you even if you wanted,” the neighbor boy yelled back. And with that, the boy picked up a rock and threw it toward Harry and Tommy.

Harry didn’t see it coming until it was too late. It hit him hard by the side of his left eye, which immediately began to bleed. Harry bent over in pain, placing one hand over his eye and the other on his knee to steady himself.

Tommy knew Harry was very strong, “Go beat him up,” he demanded.

Harry quietly said, “I don’t have to. He’ll get what he deserves.”

Large drops of blood seeped between Harry’s fingers and fell to the ground as they made their way home. Harry’s father helped wash and bandage the cut.

“The rock could have blinded you,” said Harry’s father when he saw how close it had come to his eye. “You need to remember that being a friend is safer than being an enemy. Tomorrow you should go and apologize for starting all this trouble.”

Tommy was in shock. “Apologize!” he thought. “No way!“

“Okay,” said Harry, then asked: “Can we read another animal story tonight before dinner?”

“Sure,” said his dad.

“I’ll get the book,” said Harry.

DIFFERENT WAYS

Randy Raccoon looked up one last time at the eagle flying overhead and then quickly turned to find some new adventure. It didn’t take long. A strange new sound caught his ear and off he hurried to find out what it was.

 

Knock, knock, knock — knock, knock, knock, came the sound. Knock, knock, knock — knock, knock, knock, came the sound once more. Randy scurried ever closer to the sound. He would stop, listen, and then hurry on toward the knocking sound. Soon he arrived at the base of a large tree and looked inquisitively high up into it’s branches.

 

There, on the side of the tree, Randy saw a brightly colored bird do the strangest thing. It was hitting it’s beak into the tree. Knock, knock, knock — knock, knock, knock.

 

“Why are you hitting your head against this tree?” called out Randy to the bird. “Are you angry with the tree?”

 

The bird turned its head to see who would ask such a silly question and said, “I’m not angry with the tree. I’m a wood pecker.”

 

“What’s a woodpecker?” asked Randy.

 

“This is how I find bugs to eat. I knock away the bark.” Knock, knock, knock — knock, knock, knock.

 

“Doesn’t that hurt? Knocking your head so hard, over and over and over?” asked Randy.

 

“Not at all. I even chip a large hole into the side of a tall tree for my home.” Knock, knock, knock — knock, knock, knock.

 

“There’s a simpler way to find bugs” Randy said. “Come here and I’ll show you. I’ll turn over a rock or a small log and you can see how easy it is. You can catch all the bugs you could ever eat and not have to work so hard.”

 

“No thank you” said the woodpecker. Knock, knock, knock — knock, knock, knock.

 

“I like this way just fine.”

 

“But this is so much easier. Come and see.”

 

“No thank you” said the woodpecker once more. Knock, knock, knock — knock, knock, knock.

 

Randy rolled the nearest log a few inches. “See.”

 

But the woodpecker paid no attention. Knock, knock, knock — knock, knock, knock.

 

Randy sniffed and then with one paw rolled a large snail toward him. It curled into it’s hard shell. “See” he said quietly, this time to himself. Why would someone want to do things the hard way instead of the easy way?

 

Randy pushed the snail aside and looked up once more.

 

Knock, knock, knock — knock, knock, knock. The woodpecker was too busy to see Randy shake his head.

 

“If you change your mind, I’ll be happy to show you my way” Randy called out.

 

“Thank you, but I don’t thing so” came the reply. Knock, knock, knock — knock, knock, knock.

 

After shaking his head one more time, Randy hurried off. How strange, thought Randy. Why do others choose the hard way?

Later, after their daily evening journal, scripture, and family prayer time, Harry’s father shared an experience he had as a boy. Still, all Tommy could think about was how unfair it was to make them apologize.

NATURAL CONSEQUENCES

When I was a young boy, someone injured me much like Harry and I was tempted to go beat the other boy up. But like Harry, I didn’t. Instead, I just walked away.

 

In a few days, I saw the boy sitting on the green lawn in front of his house. I was shocked to see the whole side of his face scraped terribly. I asked him what had happened. He explained he had fallen from his bike and his face had slid along the road.

 

I said to him, “I guess you got what you deserved” and he said “I guess so.” He soon moved from our town and I never saw him again.

 

I was surprised by what I said and I was even more surprising by what he said. I suppose we both knew we’d be punished for our bad deeds.

 

That experience changed my heart. It took any desire for revenge right out of me. I knew people would be punished for their sins, if they didn’t repent. And this experience taught me that if they didn’t repent, they would suffer far more than any revenge I could inflict. The natural consequences of sin can be very harsh.