For those who can tune into FOX 59 in central Indiana, Friday night at 10PM, and again Monday morning, an interview with Deanna and I will air (unless pre-empted by breaking news). After the Monday morning airing, it will be posted on FOX59.com for others to view.


In a way, I sometimes fear I never really knew my nephew. I knew his interests, a few of his friends and shared time with him at family functions and occassionsaly one-on-one. I was able to see him pretty regularly and took scores of pictures at family times, birthdays and Christmas.

Rarely though did I just sit and talk with him about what was going on in his life, at least beyond perfunctory questions about school, orchestra or church. At times I was too busy taking those pictures of life happening around me to participate in it. Rarely did I go out of my way to watch him play soccer or baseball and I never saw him play with his band. I was too busy cruising through my own life issues and worries and in so doing failed to know the true depth of this young man I was blessed to have in my life.

When I did make time to let him into my life I saw and heard the depth that was there in snippets and paragraphs (usually paragraphs :) . I saw an open heart, honest and full of the love for his Lord, his family and his friends. I saw glimpses of a level of understanding beyond his years that maybe scared me a little - was he seeing beyond the mask or was I being convicted by my own guilt or doubts?

Those one-on-one times were often too much about me and not enough about him. We talked about his life but was I really listening and grasping what he shared? Too often I was hearing the words but part of my brain was focused on my own worries that in truth, were nowhere near as important as those wonderful moments with him.

There is never enough time to do or be everything we want. Neither does Christ want us to be wrapped in the guilt over what we didn't do in the past. But I challenge you today to never put anything but Christ before your relationships with the children that bless your life in whatever capacity - whether you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle or friend.

Not only is there much for us to teach them, there is much for us to glean from those who carry the simplest of faith, the kind that our Saviour calls us to. Once we throw a pebble in the pool of their life we can't see their depth unless we sit still and watch it settle to the bottom. Remember to look beyond the entry ripples on the surface to find the clarity and wonder of what lies below.

In Christ,

Brad