Like Father, Like Son

by Donnie Jenkins

John 5:19-23: “Jesus replied, ‘Truly I tell you, the Son is not able to do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son likewise does these things. For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he is doing, and he will show him greater works than these so that you will be amazed…so that all people may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Anyone who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him.’”

I must say, one of my greatest joys in my life is being a dad. To hear our son say, “Dad, ______” gets my attention every time. There is something to be said about a father’s presence in his child’s life. Our son is now 23 years old. My wife, throughout his journey from being a young child to now being a young adult (a.k.a. a millennial), has often reminded me of the influence my words and presence have in his life even today. She says when I encourage him, compliment him, or even respond to his solicited advice, it tends to make a more lasting impression on him. As he has matured into the godly young man he is, I strive to refrain from automatically trying to tell him what to do in his life decisions. Rather, I like to respond to him with possible options for him to consider in making those decisions. Within the options offered, I prefer to frame those in a way that allows him to see the “bigger picture” or a “broader view.” By doing this, it allows him to still be the one to make the decisions with a greater degree of confidence.

If you have ever been to places like Rock City, Mount Rushmore, etc., then you know they have prominently positioned observation decks for you and me to enhance our tourist experience. Typically, what you find is several

ginormous “viewfinders” that are reminiscent of your childhood. If you remember the original “viewfinders,” you would insert these circular disc slides with pictures into the slot ever so gracefully. In doing so, it allowed you for the moment to feel as though you were in the very presence (at a distance, of course) of what you were seeing. The reason these “viewfinders” are there on those observation decks is

to give you and me the opportunity to see things in a way that we could not from our own perspective.

There is something that causes dads to swell up inside (besides tacos, beans, and burgers) when we hear someone say, “He reminds me so much of you,” or, “He looks just like you,” etc. Being present in our kids’ lives, whether they are a toddler, teen, or millennial, is about helping them become more like our Heavenly Father than those of us as their earthly father.

Donnie Jenkins has been married to his wife, Wendy, for 28 years. They have one son, Jonah. Donnie is the pastor at New Union Church in Georgetown, Tennessee, and also serves in the Cleveland area as a workplace chaplain with Corporate Chaplains of America, which is located in Wake Forest, North Carolina.