Friday Morning Breakfasts

Friday Morning Breakfasts

For many years, I have taken one or both of my sons to breakfast on Friday mornings. We have talked about their sports teams, the college teams, the pro teams, and life in general.

On this particular morning, we had two separate encounters with individuals who looked very different from us. From outward appearances, it is safe to say that our lives had very little in common. In both moments, I led the conversation with a gracious greeting and quick smile. One of the gentlemen, who was standing at a traffic light, was soliciting funds. His sign read, “25 cents.” I gave him a five-dollar bill and with a smile, told him that he needed to ask for more.

On the way to our destination, I then asked the son who was with me that morning to think through our two encounters. I told him that I hoped he saw that I treated both of the men we encountered with respect. I said, “The Scripture calls us to treat others the way we want to be treated.” I then said, “You will encounter all sorts of people in your life. Lead the conversations with respect and a smile, and you will have a lot of peace in your encounters with others.”

Looking back through the years, these moments of sharing chicken biscuits before school have led to some really great conversations where I have gotten to teach my sons. My prayer for them and for my daughter is what I see in Proverbs 23:23, which states, “Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment.”

I want to be the dad that the next verse speaks of when I see wisdom flowing through the life of my children. “The father of godly children has cause for joy. What a pleasure to have children who are wise” (verse 24). The more I read the Scriptures, the more I am convinced that as a father, I have to lead my children to this place. Doing so with a chicken biscuit and a little honey is the tastiest way to go!

Get the truth and never sell it; also get wisdom, discipline, and good judgment.

Proverbs 23:23