The Bible teaches that children are an inheritance from the Lord (Psalm 127:3), and they are! But at the other end of the journey, it is children that receive an inheritance from their parents.
With Father's Day just past, perhaps it's appropriate to ask ourselves what we are leaving our children. And let's be reminded that an inheritance may be comprised of more than money; things that surpass monetary gain, and/or material possessions, as depicted in the following story.
Dan Clark tells of going to the circus with his father. In the ticket line, they found themselves behind a family comprised of parents and 8 young children. They were neat and clean, but it was apparent by their clothing that they weren't wealthy people.
The children were standing in pairs and holding hands behind their parents. They talked quietly but excitedly about all that they would see and experience on their first trip to the circus. Finally, the family arrived at the ticket counter.
Dan wrote that, "The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. The mother was holding her husband's hand, looking up at him as if to say, 'You're my knight in shining armor.' He was smiling and enjoying his family."
The ticket agent prepared 8 children's and 2 adult tickets and announced the price. Both parents were startled. The father asked, "How much did you say?" They were devastated...they didn't have enough money!
Dan's father, seeing what was going on, pulled out $20 from his pocket; the $20 that would pay their way into the circus, and dropped it on the ground just beside the disappointed father. Immediately he bent down and picked the $20 bill up, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, "Excuse me, this must've fallen from your pocket."
The father knew what was going on, and while he would never have asked for a handout, he appreciated the kind gesture and humbly accepted the help. He held the hand of his benefactor in both of his and with a tear in his eye and a tremor in his voice, he stated emphatically, "Thank you! This means a lot to my family!"
With their only $20 bill gone and now unable to attend the circus themselves, Dan and his father drove home. Dan said that though he didn't get to the circus that night, he never felt that he had "gone without". He realised that what he had witnessed that night was part of his inheritance.
"A good man leaves an inheritance to his...children" (Proverbs 13:22). What legacy are we leaving as fathers? What will our children remember of us?
Happy belated Father's Day!