You turned 4 years old yesterday!
Man you have gotten big!
Where has the time gone!
You are still my little man. In reality, you always will be. Even when you don’t think so.
Pretty soon you will be all grown up.
You will make all your own choices. You will date girls. You will get a job (at least you better!). You will be in charge of your life.
And even though I pray I will always have a voice in your life and in your decisions, one day they will all be yours. The good choices and the bad.
Part of my job as a father has been to shield you a little from life. Not to completely protect you or shelter you, but to deflect the really heavy stuff in order for you to learn without taking major hits in your life. But I can’t do that forever.
One day you will be a man. Before that happens I want to tell you a few things:
You are amazing. I mean you surprise me everyday. You are adventurous. You are daring. You are strong.
You are so much like me in so many ways. In ways that make me smile and in ways that make me turn red with frustration. You are my mini-me.
You are independent and I love that about you. You are not out to please people, but yet you want to make people happy.
You care for your sister and I pray you always will. You seek to protect your mom.
I pray you know that no matter what choices you make in life I will always support you. I will bear burdens with you and rejoice by your side in triumphs.
One day you will find a girl you are crazy about. That girl that you will one day dream about. I pray she is a woman who admires you for all of who you are. I pray she loves Jesus as much as she loves you.
Treat her right. Treat her as a woman you want to protect, but not as someone weaker than you. Treat her as your equal. Treat her as your partner. Treat her as your best friend. Love unconditionally, be gentle and kind, and fight relentlessly for her.
Treat others with respect.
In your occupation of choice, find something you love to do. That thing that brings you the most joy. Strive to be your best, but don’t get wrapped up in trying to out shine everyone. Remember, at the end of the day it is just a job and there are more important things in life.
Love life and live it to the fullest.
Your mom and I want you to follow Jesus and give him every part of your life. But we want it to be your choice. Don’t live a life for God because of us. Live a life for God because you have studied, you have tested and you have decided there is no other way but to serve and love your Creator.
In this world “light up the darkness.” “Be the kind of person you want to see in this world.”
Know that your mother and I love you with everything we have and everything we are.
Read this one day and remember: before you were a man…
Love you,
Dad
Justin Cherry 