Worth More Than Gold

     The thin black frame holds a place of prominence, centered on an eye-level shelf, accompanied by a tiny bronze, long-nosed dog. They are two of my most prized possessions, reminders of my real job on this earth.

     The frame is not expensive, bought at a bargain price to accommodate a tight budget. It contains a yellowed sheet of Pacon ruled writing paper, the kind you are required to use in elementary school to practice your alphabet. Glued to the paper is another piece of paper, crudely cut in the somewhat abstract shape of a foot. Drawn in pencil on that foot is a girl, labeled “me,” holding hands with a man. Daisy-like flowers flank the pair on the right, tulip-style flowers on the left. The man, labeled “Dad,” is bespectacled with unruly curly hair.

     Above this childhood pencil sketch are the carefully written words of a seven-year-old:

     When I am oldr I want to follow in my Dad’s footsteps because my Dad looks afttre me.

     It is dated 1/02/07.

     When I framed my girl’s masterpiece, I added a picture of her at age 7, in an attempt to freeze this moment in time. Her essay reveals that A treasured then, just as she does now, stability, routine and security. She knew then, just as she does now, that her dad will take care of her, look after her, protect her and move heaven and earth for her.

     That little bronze dog? Oh, he’s special too. My wife is an artist, and both of our kids inherited her creative abilities. The dog was sculpted in clay by a four-year-old E. It was so intricate, and he was so proud of it, that his mom cast it in bronze. It is both heavy and delicate. The dog’s long, slender nose is extended, searching for food or, more likely, adventure. That is E in a nutshell.

Like that little bronze dog, E is always sniffing out adventure and the next opportunity, with the same creativity that produced his detailed sculpture.

     I keep both these items in my office at work. I like them there. They remind me that while my job is communications, my purpose is much greater. While there are many influencers in our lives, I believe that the next generation’s best hope for having a loving relationship with their Heavenly Father begins with their earthly father.

     My first priority is to demonstrate and reflect love, grace, mercy, security, safety and creativity in my children’s lives, and that framed essay and bronze pup are gentle reminders that my work is not done.