What I Am, Is What I Am

If you're a quitter, you breed quitting or shame. 

If you are a hypocrite, you breed hypocrisy. 

If you are a perfectionist, you breed (oft times), intolerance and displeasure. 

We complain or we ignore. That is to breed complexity, and ignorance. 

We try to be the best friend or the tyrant. That is to breed failure and cowardice. 

Things become difficult and we allow life to do what it will of us, rather than doing with life what we will. The strong parent gets up, knocks the dust off and teaches perseverance. 

"Smoking is bad for you, I don't smoke." "Going to church is important." 

"Don't you dare use that kind of language with me!" 

"You need to take your time!"

How many parents have you heard use these phrases, or better yet have you said these words?

You don't take a promotion because you're afraid of responsibility. The boss makes you mad. Your spouse makes you mad. What do you do? You resign, or remove yourself from your duties. It's a cop out. A cop out that is instilled, bestowed, thrust upon even the youngest of your children. Why? Because they are products of their environment. 

You don't go to church with your family, but harp at how God should be first in everyone's life. You tell everyone drinking is a sin, but you drink like a fish. Yes, I am preaching at self. 

I personally can't stand cigars or cigarettes, and I seldom ever drink and when I do it's not Dos Equis. I'm not the most interesting man in the world or the perfect parent, I am the imperfect Christian that your mother warned you about. 

I am the hypocrite that needed prayer and still does. I'm the parent that tried to learn from other parents and not just my own. I am the parent that tries to learn from the good and the bad in order to make good for all of my children on all occasions. I am the parent that is trying to lead as I am rather than the opposed and lead as I am not but say that I am. Pray for me reader as I pray for you, "Lord let me be more like you!" Amen.