Be a Courageous Parent

     I saw a great movie over the weekend.  It was one of those movies that you watch pretty closely because you are so drawn into the story that you can't quit watching it.  It gave me a lot to think about when it was done.  Sometimes that's not really what we want from a movie, but this was actually a good thing.  The movie that I'm talking about is "Courageous."  If you are a parent, especially a father, weather you are a new father or not so new, you should sit down and watch this movie.  Now I don't mean,  to sit there and watch it and forget about it, I mean sit there and watch it, and maybe take something away from it and act on what you took away from it.  As a single parent, I am trying to figure out what I took away from this movie and what I'm going to do about it.
     This movie was about 6 men who work for the Sheriff's department in their town.  They are all fathers and to dang busy being big shots to take an active roll in their kids lives, then something tragic happens and the story spins in another direction.  There's also a man who is also a father who has fallen on hard times, and he asks God to help him.  Without giving away the story too much, there's a lot of praying going on in this movie, and for some people that will be a turn off, don't let it be.  Give this movie a chance.  The message is a good one.
     What I took away from this movie is that if you are a parent, you need to step up and be an active participant in your children's lives - God loans them to us for just a short while and before we know it they are all grown up and gone.  What we have to figure out is what we want our kids to take with them when they leave us.   Are we going to send them off into the world well equipped to face whatever comes at them including some faith based knowledge, or are we going to send them out into the world with the bare minimum and no knowledge of whatever higher power you believe in?  I think you know the answer to that.
     The men in this movie made a commitment to both their families and God to be the best fathers they could possibly be.  In this day and time when things seem to be going to hell in a hand-basket it was a breath of fresh air.  Now I'm going to ask the question that I know you know is coming.  I wonder what would happen if those of us who are parents of impressionable age children, took a little bit of time each day and committed that time to doing something with our kids - even if it's just chatting while doing the dinner dishes.  Really listening to them when they talk to us about their day or about whatever they feel is important to them. I have decided that I'm going to take a cue from this very fine film and write my own Resolution to be a better more active parent.  I want to equip my daughter with the things I feel are important for her to take out into the world with her.  Won't you do the same for your children?  The movie is called "Courageous"- I suggest you watch it with your family the next time you are looking for a good thought provoking, conversation starting movie.  Now pass the popcorn!  Cheers!