By: Zach Collins
A wise Christian once told me, “One day, they will want you to take them with you wherever you go and, if you do, one day, they will take you with them wherever they go.”
I’ll take you with me. That seems to be the adage that is becoming the embodiment of the time I spend with my son, Asher. You see, he is reaching the age where he desires to go wherever I go or do whatever I am doing. I suppose it’s the love that any little boy feels for his daddy. Believe me, when I say wherever or whatever, I mean wherever or whatever. He likes to stand in my lap and put his little hands on the wheel of my truck and act like he is driving. Oh, and please do not get him started on his new best friend, the Craftsman 20V Cordless Blower! You see, I have a system. I cut my grass, weed eat, and then blow the grass off the sidewalks. He has my routine down pat. He watches from the window or the back porch, knowing exactly when the time has come to use the leaf blower. If I am using the leaf blower, he wants to be in my arms helping and holding the leaf blower. It makes the job much more difficult, but if I am being honest, I don’t mind making my life a little more difficult if I can keep that memory alive in my heart during the difficult days that are sure to come. Hopefully, one day, I can live my life as a positive and important influence in his life, so he will want to take my memory with him wherever he goes.
There are so many things that I want to teach him, but some are more important than others.
I will take him with me… when I go and study the Bible with the lost. I want him to see how the gospel makes an eternal difference and teach him how to have a conversation about the soul.
I will take him with me… when I visit the sick and afflicted. I want him to see how simple words of encouragement and visits can help the defeated remember the victory they have been given by God the Father through Jesus Christ.
I will take him with me… when I go to worship and Bible study. I want him to see how we worship in spirit and in truth, teaching him the joy that comes with being in the presence of the Lord.
I will take him with me… when I travel to preach the gospel. I want him to see the joy that comes from being a part of God’s family and getting to know those with whom he will spend eternity.
I will take him with me… when I go and sit on the porch with Christians. I want him to laugh and to learn the life-changing lessons that I have learned from the experiences of those whose lives were changed by the gospel.
I will take him with me… wherever I am going to do whatever I am doing that glorifies God and furthers His kingdom. That is the greatest lesson that I can teach him about the purpose of life.
Right now, he is too little to understand it. But, one day, when he gets a little older and sees me standing behind the pulpit, hiding behind the cross, proclaiming the gospel, and building my life upon the truth, He will know that it is because I am eternally grateful to a Savior who made an eternal difference in my life and in his life.
I will take him with me wherever I go so that, one day, he will take me with him wherever he goes.
September 26th, 2023