How to be a Superhero

I figure that I have about a decade of being a superhero to my son, so I’m going to make the most of it

My title wasn’t self-appointed, and there are many times that I don’t feel I’ve earned it, either. However, my three-year-old son calls me a superhero. I’m sure there are many reasons why he came up with this title, perhaps it’s because I can do things that no one else in the house can—kill roaches, pick up the refrigerator to retrieve a sword, grow a beard. You get the idea.

Here are four ways to be a superhero for your son.

1. Slow Down—Time Flies When You’re Busy

I wrote about this recently, but busyness is something that seems to rob so much of us of our time. We relish in being in the state of busyness so much that all of our time seems to magically disappear. This becomes quite evident when we take a look at our kids. How many times have people told you to soak up your time with your kids because in the blink of an eye they’ll be moving out of the house?

Going from seeing my son at nights and on the weekends (because I would spend the majority of my waking hours at work) to seeing him 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, as missionary in a third world country, has been a huge difference in our family. I have the luxury of spending mornings, afternoons, and nights with my son and witness all of the changes in his life first-hand. It also helps to live in Central America where time slows down to a halt in general. Here, time doesn’t fly, it crawls, and I’m thankful for the change.

But for those of you that can’t just move to Guatemala, slowing down can be quite the challenge. I think it starts with having boundaries and sticking with them. This was always hard for me living in Dallas, because there are so many great things to be involved in that any one single thing is good on paper. It’s the sumation of all of those things that can be a drain on your ability to be a good father. Since nearly everyone who is reading this is going to have a day-job, you need to protect your nights and weekends. This is the only time you get to see your son, so put an appropriate value on it. Turn off your computer and your iPhone. Facebook and Twitter will move right along without your presence and you’ll never regret the time that you chose to spend with your son instead of staring at a screen.

Part of defending your nights and weekends for most will mean that you need to get out of some of your obligations. Perhaps you don’t need to be in three Bible studies, two softball teams, and that fantasy football league. Maybe you need to pick one thing to be involved in outside of work and church. Sounds crazy, right?

Slow down and pay attention to your son.

2. Always Say Yes

If you’ve ever read about the first rule of improv comedy, you’ll know that you always say yes. Meaning, if someone tells you to duck because the guy behind you has a gun, you always respond as if that person is telling you the truth—and you duck. This leads to much more engaging entertainment, as the audience and the improv team believe what each character is saying and doing.

The same applies to being a superhero.

When your son tells you that you have to get the bad guys in the other room, you run beside him with your sword. When he tells you he’s Puss in Boots and he will protect you, you praise him for his bravery. When he tells you he’s a dinosaur, you do your best T-Rex around the living room.

Be silly, be brave, be his dad.

3. Ferociously Fight for His Heart

I’m guilty of not pursuing my son with all of my heart. There are times when I’d rather plop him in front of an episode of Winnie the Pooh instead of playing cowboys and indians with him in person. As a father, I’m called to engage him on every level. This means, above all else, spending time with him.

It doesn’t need to be elaborate, and it doesn’t need to cost any money.

Teach him how to use a screwdriver, how to throw a baseball, how to draw a flower, how to do the laundry, how to wash the dishes, how to catch a firefly, how to build a fort, how to pull weeds, and how to pick up dog poop in the backyard.

So many fathers spend all their time and energy making money in order to be the provider for their kids, but they miss their kids growing up in the process. Who wants a lake house if Dad is always on his computer whenever you go? Who wants a gigantic house and a pool if Dad is always at work on the weekends?

Stuff we can buy will never take the place of spending time with Dad.

We have to chase after our kids. We have to ferociously fight for their hearts and minds. It’s the least we can do as their fathers.

4. Point Him to the Lord

Last, but most importantly, we are to share the Lord with our sons. This is a daily act of submission to the Holy Spirit to give us the wisdom and understanding to do this well.

This is more than just taking him to church. The Lord gave us creativity to more accurately display how amazing He is.

Does your son love swords? Read him the story of David and Goliath.

Does he love nature? Take him on adventures in your neighborhood. Explore the trees, the insects, and how God made each and every part of it.

Does he love the color blue? Teach him how God made blue and every other color of the rainbow.

Show your son how to treat women by loving your wife well. Show him how to care for animals by loving your dog well. Show him how to respect others when he’s at the dinner table or meeting someone for the first time.

Teach him that his sense of adventure and love of stories comes from the greatest story every told.

These are all things that we’re called to do as men and as fathers. We’re going to fail because we’re sinners, but let’s make the effort.

Let’s strive to live up to the title we’ve been given — superhero and Dad.