There was a popular sit-com on television in the 1960s called “My Three Sons.” My folks loved it because they had three sons, too. Well, I have some favorite millennials. Who are your favorites Have you even thought about that? And if not, why not? Enough with the tough questions then. Here are a few of mine.
Jimmy is a Secondclassman at the Academy. He comes to Church by himself, like I used to do. He greets everyone there regardless of generation, like I used to do. He stays and talks for a while in an engaging conversation. He reminds me of me, which is really of no value except for one thing. I really like Jimmy. I’d like to think people liked me, too, back then.
There are my adult undergraduate students who are trying to finish their college degrees. They walk out the door to come to class at just the time that the baby gets sick, or the car won’t start, or the spouse looks at them and says, “How much longer is this going to go on?” And still, they make it to class, ready to learn from an old guy.
There is this young man who dreams of flying and his head is always searching the skies for where he might be someday. There’s plenty of room for him up there. I pray that I am involved in finding him a trusty steed.
Many of my former middle and high school students (and their parents) stop me at the local grocery store and say hello to Mr. Spencer. Are you kidding me? Though many of them will help me out and faces are familiar, I am struggling to remember names and yet they are cordial and respectful. I am humbled by the smiles of yesterday.
I have nieces and nephews. They are not unlike my own children. That’s a good thing. My extended family is a blessing to me. I wish I could spend more time with them.
I have the added family blessing of a daughter-in-law. I never had a daughter-in-law before a couple of years ago, and I’m not sure I’m doing the “father-in-law” thing correctly. But you wouldn’t know that by looking at her. She treats her in-laws like royalty and yet she’s the real princess.
I’m so proud of my son-in-law. He was an award-winner with us before he was an award-winner professionally. He is the oldest “millennial” I know which means he probably isn’t a millennial at all. But, I’ll make him one for this blog post. That family of his is writing a really good story. You should check it out some time.
My daughters have out-paced me in spiritual growth. When I was their age, I wish I had pursued less career and more Holy Spirit. That’s what they’re doing. This is what excites me for their families and circles of influence. I rest confident of their love for me as they have been “pickin’ up their mama’s charms” over these many years. They are each their own person but they are indistinguishable in the matters that mean the most to me. That’s why we’re inseparable.
My sons will always carry the legacy of my name. That may be a heavy burden at times as I’ve always said that there will come a time when I disappoint them. I am not perfect, and I’m prone to error. But hopefully I’ve made them strong enough to survive even that unhappy circumstance. To know right from wrong and be able to tell when others are taking advantage of them has always been the desired outcome of my lessons to them. Now, it’s as important to me that they love me as well. I’m confident they do, and will. They are the olive shoots around my table and will always be.
Say what you want about millennials. They may be in rebellion, have suffered greatly in our recent plebiscite, and be struggling with the world we all share. They may reject me and the faith of my fathers. Their belief systems may have been shaped at Berkeley or who-knows-where. They may choose MSNBC as their truth source, and laugh about me on Twitter.
That didn’t stop God from offering His only Son Jesus Christ to die for them, too. That’s why even though I may not know them, my heart goes out to them in ways they may never understand, but it still goes out to them—as long as it’s beating.