While on a plane from Orlando to Baltimore...

The cabin lights are glowing a warm ambiance throughout our crowded seating area. There is a roar from the engines and a peppering of whizzing air rushing from the air vents among the rows. We gently rock through the clouds as a world hustles below.

There is a father and son next to me. This dad appears to be a good dad, I’ve seen him patiently read every description of “new and amazing” items from the “airmall” sales catalog located behind our seat. I’ve witnessed him pour apple juice, open pretzels, and after tiny eyes finally tired tuck his son in his arms and let him sleep. He now reads with one hand as the other securely holds his little boy in his slumber. I picture him as a good dad.

I’ve been thinking a lot more about having kids lately. My best friend’s daughter is now over a year old, the friends we just visited in Florida have an adorable little boy, and I only imagine the joy and stress on the day Pearl and I have our own little clan to love on.

I wonder what kind of dad I’ll be. I wonder what good lessons I’ll teach them, and at the same time how badly I’ll screw them up. I wonder if they’ll look back on me as a loving caring gracious father, or a dad who was impossible to gauge, never knowing if I was happy go lucky or if I was in a serious life’s happening mood.

I hope they have a dad that reflects God in a good way, I hope they have a dad they love to tell stories with, a dad they want their friends to meet, a dad they feel like they can tell anything to and not fear death.

Pearl and I’ve found ourselves lately asking our “parent friends” if they could have their kids fall in love with anything what would it be.

Most say God, Jesus, faith.

They then add, sports, arts, learning, and some then go on to say exactly what sports and arts; basketball, soccer, painting, piano, etc etc

The more I think about this, I think I want my kids to get faith, God and what religion is all about, but then beyond that to simply love people. To see people not as obstacles or challenges, but as hearts and souls and hurts and stories and beauty and little reflections of God with nuggets of love, truth and something beautiful inside walking around on two legs. And that they work to call the good out of man, to reveal the good, beauty, truth and image of God that’s resting and covered up in everyone.

But that’s easier to say that now while I’m not changing a diaper at 3 am, or listening to the 4^th straight hour of crying, or having to figure out how to parent through puberty.

So to all those who are still reading this blog and have kids how would you answer that? What do you want your kids to fall in love with?

But don’t stop there… Tell me what it’s like to be a parent, to love someone so small and depend, tell me what mistakes to avoid and what habits to start.

Give me your advice.

But, just so you don’t start thinking anything funny Pearl and I are not planning on starting our family anytime soon. We’re hoping to finish grad school, face whatever adjustments come next and then start, but God could be chuckling up in heaven listening to me declare our plans.

Ps. I’m posting this the morning after flying in from Florida. Here’s what we landed in. It was 83 degrees in Florida and 12 this morning in Lancaster. SICK! At least the snow was only in Baltimore and the roads home were good.