Luke and me in Denali National Park
Today is my oldest child’s 23rd birthday. Luke graduated earlier this spring from the University of Oklahoma and I am still in a daze at how quickly his college years passed. He is now living in Oklahoma City and working nearby while he determines the course of his future, or at least his next few steps. Walking into the future, determining where we want to go, what we would like to do, and who we would like to become are no small tasks. Neither are they for the faint of heart.
These are no easy times either. The political climate in our nation is more divisive than I can ever remember. At the same time, radical Islamic terrorism is on the rise worldwide. World leaders don’t appear to have answers to the difficult problems with which we are faced. Economies have failed (Greece and Venezuela), bubbles have burst (banks and housing) and no one appears to have the secret sauce to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. The dissonance is loud and getting louder all the time. This isn’t an easy time to launch into adulthood.
I have recently been reading a book about life planning by Michael Hyatt and Daniel Harkavy entitled “Living Forward.” In it, Daniel describes a trip he took to the Maldives on vacation. Daniel, who is an avid surfer, was taking some surf lessons while there. As part of his lessons, the coaches photographed his surfing. He noticed that in some pictures he had great form, position and power and in others he lacked the same. As he looked at the pictures, he noticed that the difference in form came down to his eyes. He wrote, “the photos revealed a rookie mistake: when I took my eyes off the target, my form suffered. Where your eyes go, your body follows.”
We don’t choose the times into which we are born, nor the economic or political condition of the world around us. Yet we do get to choose how we will live. And much like in surfing, where we look will determine our success. Success doesn’t come easy and is challenged in our age with so many distractions, that to keep our eyes fixed on anything is a herculean task. Yet choose we must, and focus we must. And what we choose, and where we focus makes all the difference.
Luke didn’t choose the time and the place into which he was born. He has been blessed in many ways; to be born in America, to have a loving and supportive family, with good looks, good sense and a good heart. I am proud of the choices and decisions that he’s made so far; he is a loving son and a caring and connected member of our family. He has excelled in every area of life including faith, family, academics, athletics and relationships. I couldn’t be more proud nor love him any more.
Now the world lies before him and the choice is his. The same is true for us. I am excited to see what he chooses to do, where he chooses to go, and who he chooses to travel with. One thing is for certain, his eyes will make the difference, and what and where he looks will determine the measure of his success.
Happy Birthday Luke.
I love you, Dad