fishin' (a letter to my parents)

Sunday Dwight started a two-part series called Fishin'. It's basically about how Christ-followers are called to be 'fishers of men.' It's about investing in others' lives by sharing about what Jesus has done in your life.

At the end of his message he challenged everyone to take some time this week to sit down and write a note to the person(s) who was most influential in helping you become a follower of Christ. In other words, who fished for you? Write them a note thanking them this week.

I took up the challenge. I wrote a letter to my parents. And I've decided to share it here, on my blog.

Before you read it, here's a little background: my parents divorced when I was 15. It was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to deal with. And they no doubt have regrets and questions and uncertainties about how they parented my sister and I (as parents, we all do). But I want them to know that there were some things they got right. Here is my letter to my mom and dad:

Dear Mom and Dad,

I don’t know how many times you’ve thought about whether or not you did a good job raising me. I know that, as a parent, I question myself all the time (Did I handle that situation properly? Should I have said something differently? Am I leading my kids well?). I just seems so hard at times to get things right.

Mom and Dad, I want you to know, that no matter how much you may question yourselves as parents, you handled the most important thing well. You gave me the most incredible gift I could ever hope to receive from my parents, the gift of pointing me in the direction of Jesus Christ and helping me begin to build my life on the foundation of a personal relationship with Him.

I’m so glad that you chose to put going to church ahead of every other possible opportunity on Sundays. Because you chose to make God and church such a huge priority for our family, I can honestly say that I’m a follower of Jesus to this day. I know I haven’t always done exactly what I should…and my relation with Christ has not always been first in my life (think college days). But sometime when I was about five years old, and I don’t even really remember when or where, but I prayed a prayer at church, asking Jesus to come into my heart. And here’s what’s so cool…he’s still in my heart!

Mom and Dad, without that influence in my life, who knows where I’d be today or what I’d be doing. Instead, the direction you pointed me has given birth to a passion to share what I’ve found with others. Now I’m using the gifts and talents God has given me to build relationships with as many people as I can in order to plant that seed of faith in them, just like you did for me.

So if you ever wonder about whether or not you got things right as parents, I just wanted to let you know, you got the most important thing right. I can honestly say that I’m a follower of Christ today because you made knowing Jesus such a huge priority for our family.

For that I am forever grateful.

Love,

Johnny

NewPointers, I would encourage you to not blow-off the homework assignment Dwight gave on Sunday. It'll help your perspective on why fishing is so important. It did mine.