Last Saturday Steph and I watched Crazy Stupid Love with my parents. I must say, a pretty good movie with some great principles. Unfortunately, I've taken Dr. Ron Johnson Jr.'s Christian Worldview class at Living Stones College and now everything has been ruined for me. Now with every movie, TV show, commercial and billboard I see I pick apart the principles and philosophy behind it. Well, there's a specific scene in this movie that has been on my mind and the principle that is coupled with it. In the movie, Steve Carell, Cal in the movie, and his wife are separated and his 13 year old son, Robbie, is over for the weekend. They are playing catch when he tells his dad he's giving up on chasing his soul mate. After Cal encourages him to never give up, keep chasing, don't take no for an answer, Robbie calls out his dad and says something mind blowing. "I need some inspiration dad." He's looking at his dad who has given up on his soul mate and marriage, and basically tells, "How can I when you won't? SHOW ME HOW!!!!!"
I believe this is the cry of every kid.. Boys are looking to their dads saying, "Show me how to be a man, show me how to chase my bride, show me how to be pure, just show me." Girls are saying, "Show me I'm beautiful, show me I'm worth waiting for, show me how to chase my dreams." For too long the "do as I say not as I do" slogan has ruled households as parents hold a double standard. Children are confused as they are told to do one thing, and see the complete opposite.
I'm a firm believer that the best coaches are ones that have played the sport prior. It was easy for me learn how to block a curve ball behind the plate because my dad would crouch down, slide in front of it and use his body to knock it down. He had done it a hundred times before himself. After that, it seemed easy, all I had to do was mimic my dad. Children are watching and listening to their parents, even when we think they aren't, to see how to be a man or woman. I know every parent wants their children to be better than they are and were, but how can they when they're filling the potholes of the road their parents were supposed to pave for them. The end of the parents road should be the beginning of the child's, their ceiling the children's floor. In order for this to happen, the parents must begin to act in a way that models a life they want their children to live. To raise children of integrity, character and passion we must first become parents of integrity, character and passion.
