Growing up one of my favorite movies was Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade. It was epic, funny, and redemptive and kept me wanting more Harrison Ford as the coolest history nerd ever. A scene that sticks in my mind is where they had found the Holy Grail but had to make a choice that could either lead to life or death. When Mr. Donovan drinks from the cup he believes is the “Cup of Christ,” subsequently dying a sudden and graphic death, the somber knight of the crusade simply says…
“He chose…poorly.”
I want to choose to do to things that lead to life, not to confusion, regret, and dysfunction. So when spring break arrived this year to the Harrison house, we decided to do something a bit different. Our older kids work tirelessly for the good of the household and rarely get the reward/perks that go along with the incredible effort they put forth. They work more than any other teenagers I know, and they love their life just like it is. We decided to hire a babysitter to watch the 4 “littles” as we call them, and take the 4 “bigs” out on a full-day of fun. TopGolf, shopping and a steak dinner which is the favorite of our clan of carnivores. It was a hefty bill, but we saved for it and believed the benefit was worth the financial sacrifice. The food bill was more than $100, which is unheard of in our world. Dave Ramsey would probably NOT approve.
As a worship leader and a person who depends upon volunteers to help make services happen each week, I will tirelessly sacrifice to make sure they know how much I love and appreciate them. How life-giving would it be for our spouses and for our children to feel the same way? Leading and loving our families makes us better at leading and loving our congregations.
I thank God for my wife; she is the brainchild for this new spring break tradition. I thank God for my children; they’re my most prized accomplishments, and amazing people. Sometimes, it’s just good to make a special effort to show them just how incredible they are and how valuable they are to God and to me. Some day I want to look back at choices I made in my family and believe that I chose wisely. Don’t overlook that spouse and those kids who give you each week to your calling and passion.
Find a way to love your family with that most precious of commodities; time. It will be a very WISE choice.
Scott Harrison serves as the Worship & Creative Arts Pastor at Midway Church in Denton, TX. Happily married, he is the father of eight, which leads to the many stories he is now vloging & blogging about at ScottHarrisonBlog.com, where he shares his thoughts on family, worship, & leadership.
