An Investment

So two times in one week I am going to be more personal than usual in a blog post!

Today is Father’s Day and I am so grateful that I have a father that invested in me. I wish I could spend the day with him but it’s not to be this year.

How does a Dad invest in a daughter? Well there is probably not one recipe for solid investment, but because of the way I was cared for, I know some winning ideas…

Actions of a Good Dad
1. He rocks his baby daughter and sings to her (even if it’s Ray Charles tunes!)
2. He takes her out in the ocean on a raft and rescues her when she loses her balance and falls off.
3. He disciplines her for lying about drawing on the wall and blaming it on the infant!
4. He attends ballet and jazz dance recitals even if they are goofy and his daughter is NOT the best dancer.
5. He shares his love of music by making opportunities for her to learn, hear, and appreciate, EVEN if she is not as talented as he.
6. He attends every piano recital, every band concert, every band show (even when the football team is losing every game and it’s freezing outside.)
7. He spends time listening to endless girl chatter even if it seems insignificant and interjects some real-world thoughts in there from time to time.
8. He dresses up and scares her friends at pajama parties even though they squeal for hours afterward….lol
9. He takes his daughter to church even when he has serious theology questions himself that aren’t answered AND even when there is a hypocrite there making everyone miserable.
10. He prays for her.
11. He lets her makes mistakes when she is beginning to take “the driver’s seat” of life and still has her back.
12. He checks out the boys that come around his house wanting to spend time with his daughters and might even ask one or two to move on if he figures out before her that he’s not the right one.
13. He takes responsibilities for his own mistakes and takes the hard road to makes matters right, living a life of integrity for her to see.
14. He shares his dreams for her, including going to college, graduating but more than that, he shares his desire for her to become a life learner….able and willing to investigate new interests.
15. He gently pushes her out of the nest, even though it’s a painful process, making it clear he is in her corner.
16. He attends every awards ceremony, graduation, special occasion, that is held in her honor.
17. He walks her down an aisle and gives her hand to a young eager man even though his heart is breaking and he’s wondering where his little girl went.
18. He travels to visit her no matter how far she moves away and is eager to see her and her family when she arrives “home” again.
19. He travels to see every newborn grandchild and poses for pics with the little red ones even though they all “look the same” to him! lol
20. He still has time to talk when his adult daughter needs her Daddy!

That’s the kind of investment I received and I’m grateful to God that he gave the responsibility of raising me to Charles Ray Baker.

I love you, Daddy and I wish I could spend today with you,
Angela

Stages of Life

I have neglected my blog most of this semester, due to starting a second accountability group and just due to running in several directions. I started this blog for the A&E ladies (Accountability and Encouragement) but have spent more time with them in person lately than I have in writing. I hope to have some time this summer to get back to blogging on a regular basis. We’ll see!

Most of the time I don’t blog about my personal life too much. The purpose of the blog was to encourage the women in my life that running the race of life takes endurance especially when you are running in light of eternity and working to invest in eternal things. (Although occasionally I have addressed social and political issues too.) Today I am going to be a little more personal but hope it will also be applicable to my young friends who are moms and who are running that part of the race for His glory.

This day I put my 14 year old daughter on a plane to go to several Asian cities. She will be visiting three teams from our fellowship that are serving people in three different countries. She has known for a year that she would get this opportunity and she has worked like crazy to make it happen.

This morning as I watched her check and recheck her bag, her paperwork, and her carry-on, a part of me could not believe this beautiful, put-together person (who behaves well past her 14 years) was the same five pound, five ounce child that was placed in my arms 14 and 1/2 years ago.

She had applied for her passport on her own. Set up the passport appt. on her own. Applied for her visa to one of the countries on her own and called the agency several times when they messed up her paperwork. She raised the money needed to go on her own. She figured out what proper attire she needed to be culturally sensitive by asking questions of the right people, then made a date with me to go and get what she needed. I sat on the couch and looked at my almost grown daughter like she was a stranger for a minute. Where did the time go?

As most of you know I have homeschooled her. We have had tons of time together…not all of those days were easy days…but there were tons of fun ones. It struck me again that more than half of them are gone.

I have heard all my mothering life that I should be treasuring the time, “it will not last forever” and today as I watched her walk out the door, confident, excited, prepared, and sporting a beautiful smile and attitude, I felt that truth sting very sharply. She is growing up.

I do not feel at all like I can take credit for all that she is right now, nor do I think that her strength is the result of being homeschooled. In no way is this post about me or about homeschooling.

I only want to say, my dear young friends, INVEST in your children. Love them, talk to them, get to know them, treasure the time….. It is so worth it, and it is so temporary.

My prayer today is that I will be able to watch, with grace, her (and my others too) fly away from the nest one day. Though I know that will sting extremely sharply, I hope that I will trust God to direct them on the paths He has ordained for them. Help me, Father, to not waste any more time.