Written 8-29-05

Bryson is 13 years old, but he already stands six feet tall and can look down on his mother. His voice changed about a year ago and people are always saying that they have trouble telling us apart on the phone. In fact, my cell phone has voice-activated commands and it gives Bryson great pleasure to speak the commands and have the phone recognize his voice as mine.

Few things give a father greater pleasure than seeing his own qualities put to work in the life of his son. I have always been proud of Bryson and not a little flattered when someone says he looks or sounds just like me. But last night during church services, my pride bubbled over.

Unexpectedly, Bryson was asked to offer the closing prayer. Now that he is 13, he sits in the teen section on Sunday night and I was unable to see his reaction. I did not see him, but I could hear his voice as it boomed across the auditorium. I was so proud. Not only was he confident, but he had such depth to his thoughts. I stood there thinking, “That’s my boy, talking to my Father. Three generations of God’s Spirit speaking to one another.”

After services, a stream of people came by to comment about Bryson’s prayer. One man whispered, “There are many, many grown men who could not have worded a better prayer than that.” I had to agree.

Devotional

Genesis 1:26 (NIV) “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…'”

Being a father has so impacted my view of God. There was a time in my life that I feared Him. Another time in my life that I just tolerated Him. But I can truly say that, at this point in my life, all I want to do is be like Him.

What about you? Do you have His mannerisms, His character, His disposition? Can others hear God in your voice?

Note: Sharing these Sonny Day Devos is a great way to open doors for conversations about God and His values. Just follow these simple steps:

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The story above was taken from the book, “A Funny Thing Happened On Our Way to Heaven” by Sonny Childs. In the spirit of those chicken soup books, this collection of 52 short stories is sure to inspire.

To purchase your copy, use the buy now button below.