Fatherhood is an amazing thing and as we approach Father’s Day I thought it only right that I should write about the fatherhood subject and I’m going to do this by telling about each of my children individually. When I rededicatd my life and realized God had a great plan for each area of my life, God filled me with a lot of wisdom from His Word and from things I had learned in my daily walk as a believer. I want to write about my oldest son Ty today and then write about each child in order over the next few days. Of course, Ty being our first born brings to mind all the misakes new parents can make and I know I made plenty of them, but with an attitude of trying to do the best for his life. Ty’s full name is David Tyler Warren and now he puts a Dr. in front of that name and I am so proud of his accomplishments. I made a commitment when Ty was born that I would encourage and undergird all of my children and help them pursue their dreams. Ty had a very calm and loving disposition and was an easy child to parent. When he was 10 years old he said, “I want to be a doctor when I grow up.” To which I said, “Then you will be a doctor!” As Ty grew he became a good student and showed an inclination to really research and know things. His search for truth and answers is what I believe is a strong part of his makeup and it continues to drive him in his faith today. Early in his school years Ty had a problem with reading, and after going to an extra class to bring him up to speed, he took off and reading became a resource for finding those truths he longed for. When Ty was in high school, he said “I would like to play division 1 football, to which I said, “then you will play division 1 football.” At that point my responsibility as a parent kicked in and I started making ways for his desire to come to completion. I began to analyze and devise drills we could do to make him the best football player he could be and it started paying off as he took the field and immediately made an impact. He wanted to play defensive back and wide receiver, so I took him out to the trampoline in the back yard and had him jump as I threw passes to him. It trained his brain to be able to think of two things at once and respond accordingly. When he got to the place he could lift heavier weights we would go to the weight room and do extra lifting with one thing in mind, play Division 1 football. If he wanted to do it, then I wanted to help him do it. Some of our best times as father and son were made in our working together to complete his goal. I believe those extra efforts further made it able for him to complete a very tough medical school at UAB. He learned the discipline from one goal and it transfered to another goal, to be a doctor. I was in a position at that time in my life to be able to go to no less than 95% of his practices and 100% of his games, whatever the game might be. I wanted him to know that I was there for him, cheering him on, and giving him support. The coach of the football team came up to me when Ty was a sophomore and said, “I’m thinking about starting Ty over a senior”, to which I replied, “If you do that you will get his best and you won’t regret it. He is a coach’s dream player.” That coach agreed with me and a few years after Ty had graduated admitted to me that his playing Ty was the best move he had made that year. He said, “Ty is steady and driven.” To which I replied, “I told you so!” So, Dr. David Tyler Warren, my oldest son, is now a father himself. I love the interaction I see him have with his children and pray that he will pass on the legacy of believing in his kid’s dreams to further the legacy of fatherhood. One point of direction change in Ty’s dream of being a doctor was realized when he was playing for Division 1aa Murray State University(dream accomplished!). His coach, Houston Nutt, had hired a new defensive coordinator, and like so many other cases, that coach had a plan that was already in place and developed around other players and Ty was frustrated. After talking with me he decided that football was putting a strain on his premed studies and after meetings with the coach and much prayer, he decided to quit the team. I knew he had accomplished that goal and a much larger goal loomed ahead in the medical field. It was a super smart choice and I backed him fully and trusted his judgment in that decision and the rest is history. But it was not getting to play on that team that I believe was the pinnacle, it was the journey together that made me thankful for the extra time spent on realizing the dream. Another big part of Ty’s life, was of course, the development of his faith. It was always my desire to teach Ty to trust God, not man. To live a primary, not a secondary faith. In other words, don’t live your faith through your parents, but one on one with Christ. He has taken that to heart and has high expectations about what church to attend and what preacher to listen to. I believe he will never let some man sway him away from the pure truth of the word, and I hope he will always be a person who doesn’t take anything for granted, but with prayer will always follow God alone in his life. I believe he will train his children to be the same way and that is where the legacy will be seen even more as they grow up under Ty’s direction. The writer of Proverbs wrote in 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it. There is no doubt in my mind in God’s Word being true, so the legacy of Fatherhood WILL be passed on and for that I say, “Praise God.” Our first born, Dr. David Tyler Warren. I am so thankful to God, and proud of Ty for all he is doing in his living legacy. Ty. I am well pleased, and I believe our heavenly Father is too. Your heavenly Father loves you and I do too.
The pilgrimage continues…..
David Warren