by Johnny Fusilier
I get off of work at 3pm and make it just in time to pick up my five year old Judah from the car line. Judah and I have an hour until we get the three oldest from their after school program and then the three year old from daycare. Judah loves to play outside, so most days we go to the park or stop by Nana and Pawpaw’s house to ride bikes or play with their dogs. Some days he is “very hungry” so we go to ALDI and he is able to pick any snack he wants. To me, it really doesn’t matter what we do: we have an hour to spend together, and we are making memories.
Once all five kids have been picked up, we have a fifteen-to twenty-minute drive home. It would be easy for me to turn up the music and not engage. But most days we play games, sing songs, tell stories, or ask each other questions on our drive. I’ve made up games and a playlist for car karaoke. My children dance, sing, and enjoy these moments. I have set my mind to be intentional in the mundane things of life and to try to make the most of my time with my kids. There is beauty in the mundane. I see this as my son raps and my daughter giggles on our way home. All of these small moments are beautiful, God-given moments.
I try to regularly take my kids to do something they like. It looks different for each of them. Some days we go to the park or we go fishing. Some days it’s a University of Houston sporting event or we get snow cones. And some days it’s going to the public library or a community event. The common theme is that we are together! I am trying to do my best as a father. Some days are better than others, but I strive to be present.
Our oldest is eleven and it seems like just yesterday that we became parents. I am reminded of James’s words: “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). Knowing this, I believe I must invest my life in things that will have ripples into eternity. I am not a perfect parent or a perfect teacher and I fail daily, but in these small, mundane moments, I hope that my children and the children I teach will see God’s love and beauty.: