Tomorrow, Saturday, January 30, 2010 is Asher’s third birthday. That may not mean a whole lot to you, but it means a great deal in the Baucham house. We make a big deal of birthdays. And since there are so many of us now, we don’t even have to invite a bunch of people over to have a nice party. This year, along with his Spiderman cake and Thomas the Train shirt, Asher is getting a special gift from daddy… He’s going with me on a ministry trip to Chicago. I’m headed up to do a Men’s Retreat for Wheaton Bible Church, and for the first time in his life, Asher gets to tag along all by himself. It’s going to be a blast!

Yet, some people (mostly those who have three year-olds) wonder why I would take on such a task. Here are five good reasons:

1. Because I Try Not to Miss Birthdays

I try to keep my travel to a minimum. It is my primary source of income, so I have to do it, but it cannot be allowed to interfere with my duties as a husband and father. Part of those duties, as far as I’m concerned, is making sure I am here for special days as much as possible. As such, I don’t typically miss birthdays. Since this event falls on Asher’s birthday, and January is the hardest month for me to book the way I would like (after taking December and early January off), this was a great way to both do the event and make the birthday.

1. Because It’s the Coolest Gift I Could Think Of

Asher loves his daddy. However, sometimes I think he loves flying even more. The kid lights up like a Christmas tree every time we start heading east on Beltway 8 (the road we take to the airport). We can be headed to the Zoo and Asher will blurt out, “Are we going to the airport?” When we do have occasion to fly as a family, he is absolutely giddy the entire time. In fact, we decided not to tell him about his birthday present from Dad until the day before because he would have driven us all crazy.

1. Because I Love My Son

Not only does Asher love his daddy, Asher’s daddy loves him. I love all my children. I wish I could take them all with me. I also enjoy spending time with them individually. This is a tremendous opportunity for me to just love on Asher. This is an absolute treat.

1. Because Yesterday, Trey was His Age

My son, Trey, who has traveled with me full time since he was thirteen, was Asher’s age not that long ago. In fact it seems like yesterday when I had to reach down and grab his little hand as we crossed the street. Now he’s a six foot tall, sixteen year-old college sophomore (in two weeks, Lord willing) with hopes, dreams and aspirations that will be lived out in his own family on tomorrow (at least that’s how it seems). Time flies when you’re raising kids. Asher won’t be a little boy long, and I don’t want to miss it.

1. Because I’m Not A Very Good Father, But I Want to Be Remembered As One

We all struggle with our own inadequacies. Every man can give you a list of the things he wishes he did better. When I think of how important the job of a father is, and how much is required of me, I can’t help but see how short I fall. However, I know that all children grow up with less-than-perfect fathers, but they also grow up with memories from the moments when Dad got it right.

My father was not there for me. He did not raise me, nor did he spend much time with me in the grand scheme of things. Nevertheless, when I think of my father, I don’t think about the things he didn’t do; I think about those times we did have together. I think about those words of wisdom he spoke to me that still impact my life to this day. I think about pictures of me sitting on his head as a little boy. And when I think about those things, I’m grateful.

Like my father, I too will die someday. And when I do, I’d like to think that my son, Asher will sit and tell his children stories about the day his Dad took him to a Men’s Retreat in Chicago on his third birthday and he had the time of his life.

VB
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