I'm so pleased to welcome my son Caleb on the blog today. If you've read my blogs or followed me on Instagram any length of time, you'll know that I have 6 man cubs and Caleb is the oldest of them all. He is servant-hearted, just completed his first year of college, and he is a blessing to our family.
As we highlight the Father's Day Collection in the shoppe, I've invited Caleb here to share about his Dad's heart and how Troy's life has impacted him. I hope you're encouraged by his words here today...
In my own life, innumerable distractions call for my attention. College in particular has been challenging because of the time commitment and focus that it requires. It often feels easy to go through a whole day with my nose to the grindstone and never seriously consider my walk with the Lord, or how I’m being a witness for the faith.
When I was fairly young, my dad told me about a missionary named Jim Elliot, who said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” That quote has stuck with me ever since, and it sums up a principle my dad has always instilled in us - be eternally minded.
My dad has continuously set an example to approach life with Christ and for Christ in any and all circumstances.
He...
...has always been able to look at a tangled up, confusing situation in our lives and apply Scripture to it.
...looks at the things our hearts struggle with and recognizes the effect of sin.
...works through relational struggles by recalling how God’s Word calls us to behave.
...looks at the trajectory of his life, and strives to be the man that his Savior calls him to be.
And every day, he strives for the Simons family to do the same.
It is far too easy to blow up in exasperation when my brothers get into a squabble, but my dad has taught me to address the real issue, which is the state of their hearts. He always asks us to examine what drives us to behave the way that we do, and to take it to the Lord.
I firmly believe that all things in my life, no matter how minute, are connected to my walk with the Lord. Of course, applying that belief is much harder than saying it. But I’m supremely blessed that my dad has poured himself into teaching me and my brothers how to live a life that reflects that reality. He’s not perfect, and every day requires that we renew our efforts, but by the grace of God he encourages us to walk that path with him.
In Christ,
Caleb Simons