My wife and our youngest daughter were sitting watching a movie together. Watching the two of them stare at the screen and share similar emotions was fascinating.
It doesn’t take much for me to see already that all of our daughters will be heavily influenced by their mother’s example. Her commitment to working hard, to being innovative and resourceful is something that’s already evident in their behaviour. The things that they get up to and are able to work out for themselves is testimony to that incredible influence.
They are certainly forging through with their own distinct characters and means of expression. They are not clones of their mother at all. The influence however is very much there.
Observing this makes me reflect on not just who had a great influence on me in the past, but considering who has a heavy influence on me today. I wonder if there’s a stage you reach where it’s not so much of a case where people have that degree of influence on you. I wonder how that works as you get older. I hear folks talking about still having mentors and all that jazz, but it intrigues me to see how that develops over time and the degree that influences have as you grow.
It’s especially intriguing because of what we say about growing more and more to be like Christ. We say He influences us and we grow in knowing Him, we say we depend on the Spirit more and more. What does that look like on a practical basis of viewing the journey after years in it? How does that look in terms of engagement with God through His people?
It would be great if down the line all three of my daughters will take their mother’s lead in looking to follow Jesus. How that influence will work out will in itself be fascinating.
(Photo by Guille Álvarez on Unsplash)
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 