Grab the teachable moments with your children. I'm Dr. James Dobson with Focus on the Family. A few years ago, my teenage son and I got up one morning and situated ourselves in a deer blind before the break of day. About twenty yards away from us was a feeder which operated on a timer, and at 7 AM it automatically dropped kernels of corn into a pan below. Ryan and I huddled together in the blind talking softly about whatever came to mind. Then through the fog we saw a beautiful doe emerge silently into the clearing. We had no intention of shooting her, of course, but it was fun to watch this beautiful animal from close range. The doe then ate a quick breakfast and fled. I whispered to Ryan, "There's something valuable to be learned from what we've just seen. Whenever you come upon a free supply of high quality corn unexpectedly provided right there in the middle of the forest, be careful. The people who put it there are probably sitting nearby in a blind just waiting to take a shot at you." Now Ryan may not always remember that advice, but I will. It isn't often that a father says something that he considers profound to his teenage son. One thing is certain. This interchange and the other ideas we shared on that day would not have occurred at home. Opportunities for that kind of communication have to be created. And to fathers I say, "That goal is worth whatever it costs you to achieve it."
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