Who are your “Six”?

An interesting thing happened to me while I was contemplating an upcoming hysterectomy (in order to see if a cyst on my left ovary was cancerous).

 Of course, at the top of my mind, was the thought of my kids growing up without me if the worst were true.  (By the way, the worst was not true.  Surgery showed the cyst was not cancerous.)  However, when the outcome was unknown, my mind ran to the future and to the “what ifs.

 “I’ve had a really great life…..but I want to be there in the future when my kids….bake cookies, graduate from high school, get married, etc.”  Thankfully, for now, this is a non-issue.

 During this season of the unknown, I found a book called, “The C ouncil of Dads” by Bruce Feiiler.   It was intriguing and I bought it.  The book is good (I’m not finished with it yet.) but the premise behind it was what grabbed me right away.  The author had two three-year-old daughters and found a cancer in his leg.  He wondered, if he were to pass, who would be the men influencing his daughters in his absence.

What he did, was to think ahead and proactively contact six men from his life ….those he thought would have the best influence on his daughters….those who had his values…those  he wanted to pass something on to his loved ones(in case he had an early death). 

 Wow!  What a thought.  How prepared!  He contacted these six men about “being there” for his daughters if he died.  Even if only a few times a year, the influence of those who had influenced him, would impact his daughters.  Each man had unique strengths.  (He chose only  men because he figured his wife would still be the main female influence.)

 This caused me to think.  What six women would I contact to have an influence in the lives of my children in my absence?  Who has values I embrace and would want my children to embrace?  Whose presence would be vital?  Even if one does not have children, you could ask who is influencing you?  Who is influencing your friends?  Are they the best use of your relational time?  Do they have a perspective of the Kingdom of God? (Note:  I am not talking ministry time where you are serving others and trying to reach the lost, but “peer” friend time which is mutual.)

Now that I know I don’t have cancer, I don’t really have to put this thing of finding six women to influence my children in the future into practice.  I don’t have to contact “my six.”  I don’t even really have to go ahead and figure out who they are…..or do I?  (I’m not telling them this by the way.)

 I mean really….don’t we want the highest and best for those who influence us and our children (if we have them)?  Shouldn’t we put some thought into who we give our time and attention to?  To whom we have in our homes?  To those we are around enough that our children want to emulate them?  This book (and the experience I had) have made me ponder….who is influencing me, my family, my children?  Isn’t that worth putting some time and thought into?! 

 I may not even finish reading the entire book because it has given me so much to think about already!

Food for thought!  I will keep pondering this and pray as well.

Blessings,

Thora