Bob's Blog

My dad has taught me many things in my 52 years; and even as he makes his way through his 76th year I’m sure he still has a few nuggets of wisdom left to share. But the thing that I think I will always appreciate the most is his commitment to excellence. If anyone has pushed me to become the best that I can be – it is my dad. His words – “those who fail to plan, plan to fail”; “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right”; and most recently, “significant is more important than success” – have always challenged me, and pushed me, and inspired me to truly become the man God created me to be. And I’m so thankful for that. In a world that often accepts mediocrity as the norm, my dad has always encourage me to strive for something more.

Now at times, the pressure to achieve and accomplish was overwhelming. I tend to be my own best critic, and am extremely hard on myself. And over the years my high expectations of others has often led to a great deal of disappointment. Sometimes I reach too high, run too fast, and push too hard. And that is when fall back on the most important thing my mother has taught me over the year. And that is this – excellent or not, you are deeply loved!

Amy Grant’s latest CD has a song titled “Don’t Try So Hard” – with chorus that goes like this. “Don’t try so hard. God gives you grace and you can’t earn it. Don’t think that you’re not worth it. Because you are! He gave you his love and he’s not leaving, gave you His Son so you’d believe it. He loves you even with your scars. Don’t try so hard.”

I think this is the most significant thing that I’ve learned from my mother! Yes, we all need to strive to be all that God longs for us to be, but divine love is not dependent upon any of it! And neither is the love of any good parent!

Perhaps this is why parenting is a joint venture – there are many things we need to learn in life, and it is simply not good for any of us to be alone. We need families, and churches, and communities, to help us become all that we were meant to be. But while I am thankful for all of those people who have blessed my life, today, I am most grateful for my parents. Together, they have made me the person I am. And while I’m not perfect, I strive for excellence in all that I do, and know that I am loved no matter what.

Thanks Mom and Dad – and Happy Mother’s and Father’s Day!