What Really Matters

Author: Kim Ashbaugh
Kim Ashbaugh is formerly an elementary school teacher and presently a homeschool mom of three daughters: Julianne, 16; Jamie, 13; and Jennie, 10. Her family has lived in Florida, California, and presently resides in Georgia. She loves chocolate, old movies, Jane Austen novels, and almost anything "old-fashioned." She appreciates modern technology but longs for the simpler days. Her highest priority after God is her husband and children, and after that she loves to minister to young moms

Three weeks ago, a horrible tragedy occurred in our community. One of the families from our homeschool group lost their dad. He was killed in an accident on the way to work.

With the shock of that event, I began to think..."What really matters?" Have I really invested my life as a spouse and parent in things that matter, or am I distracted with trivial things that count for nothing in the long run?

The man who was killed, Chuck, knew what really mattered. As his 15-year old son grieved the loss of his dad, it was the loss of a companion, a buddy, an instructor... not some distant person he had very little contact with.

What made Chuck a good dad was, first of all, that he was faithful to his spouse. He loved her through good times and bad, and stayed married to her. I do not know all the details, but I am sure not all their times together were blissful. Yet he remained with his wife, giving security to her and his children.

Chuck was a good provider, a responsible worker. He was on his way to work when he died, a job he went to over and over, week in, week out. It was not necessarily an extremely fulfilling career, but Chuck went everyday, in order to bless his family with a regular paycheck so they might have what they needed. The flip side of that was that Chuck did not work excessive overtime or strive for unlimited wealth. That would have required him to be away from his family too often. He may have also understood that "riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven."

The final aspect of Chuck's life that struck me was his relationship with his son. Yes, Chuck was the dad and therefore held a position of disciplinarian, but he also enjoyed his son, spending time just the two of them. When my husband met Chuck, they were in a group of parents and teens attending a contemporary Christian band concert. Chuck had taken time out from his schedule to attend the event with his son, and they had ridden there together on Chuck's motorcycle. They must have ridden that motorcycle together at other times, just Dad and son, enjoying their time together.
Thankfully, Chuck was a believer in Jesus Christ; therefore, his family has the assurance of seeing him again one day in heaven. But while they are still on this earth, Chuck's wife and son will treasure the good memories they have of him... memories that are possible because Chuck knew what really mattered.

Next Week's Author: Jaime DeCarlo