Overall, Kirsten and I work toward
raising our children to respect others,
to love one another, and to live in
the light of the Lord. We try to teach
by example, but we’re not always
perfect. Our bedtime ritual includes
singing one of our favorite verses
from the Bible: “Be ye kind, one to
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another even as Christ has forgiven
you. Ephesians four thirty-two [ba-dum,
ba-dum], Ephesians four thirty-two,
[ba-dum, ba-dum].” I always hope
my children sing that song and will
internalize those words.
Some days parenting will be a
blessing, and other days it will test
you. No matter what, we as parents
must be willing to teach our children
well, to explain right from wrong, and
to encourage a life of faith. The best
way to teach is to lead by example.
Though it is the power of the Holy
Spirit that ultimately draws people to
himself, all the hymns and Bible verses
in the world won’t amount to a hill of
beans if we don’t live what we preach.
This means we parents must be willing
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to admit to our own shortcomings and
to ask for forgiveness when we mistreat
others, including our children. We’re
all imperfect, and we’re all going to
stumble at some point or another.
And when we do fumble, we must be
willing to ask for forgiveness, even if it’s
a thirty-five-year-old asking his three-
year-old for clemency. Our children
may obey us as we obey the Lord and
strive to live the life we have been
called to, not in our own power, but by
that of his Son.
To bring everything back to the
gridiron, I once asked a former coach
of mine for advice on parenthood.
“The days are long, but the season is
short,” he replied. I’m grateful for every
one of them and the challenges and
beauty they pose. There will continue
to be obstacles on the road ahead,
but I hope to face them with clarity. I
am confident that you will also find the
joy and the wonder in raising a happy
and healthy family as well. Your work
will not return void. Your commitment
will not be in vain. Always remember,
my brothers, you have what it takes