On Being a Father

A few years ago, a grateful son wrote about his father,

A dad have I who is not perfect, never played for Yankees strong,

Feats and features cannot measure what it takes to be a man.

Fosbury’s bar will yet be raised by hopefuls and by champions

Yet ‘tis Redmond’s race that I remember

The father running to the son.

Redmond, of course was Derek Redmond, Britain’s record-holder in the 400-meter sprint. In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, he was favored to win gold. But half-way through his semi-final race
Redmond snapped his hamstring and collapsed to the ground as the competition raced past him.
Contorted with pain he got up and staggered on, refusing to quit. His father, Jim, watching from the stands, burst past security to join his son hobbling towards the finish line. 65,000 spectators gave them a standing ovation.

“I’m more proud of him than if he had won gold”, the older Redmond said.

Over 2 million people have viewed the YouTube footage of the moment. I’ve read that Jim Redmond will be one of the bearers of the Olympic torch in London this summer, a fitting tribute to the heroic and human sides of the Olympic tradition. Not only was theirs one of the great moments in Olympic history, it is a classic expression of what a father is.
"We give them roots. We give them wings.
We stand unwaveringly with them when life turns grim."

As my own kids were growing up I often prayed the words of Isaiah 58:12 for them:

Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins

and will raise up the age-old foundations;

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,

Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

I prayed that they would become builders of the future and shapers of community, creatively renovating and developing what they inherited from their father and mothers's legacy and innovating a world that will exude community, justice and joy. Words fail me to express the joy I feel today in seeing how God has taken this vision-shaping prayer and fulfilled it more creatively than I could have imagined it in my three adult kids.

Like Jim Redmond, I’m more proud of them than if they had won gold.