My Prayer for Dayle

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of my daughter Dayle's baptism. That was one of the most wonderful days of my life as a pastor and as a father. Here is a story I love about Dr. Will Willimon, former dean of the chapel at Duke University. This is my prayer for Dayle as well (and also my prayer for myself, that I don't react like the father in this story!).

"One day, Dr. Willimon received a phone call from a very irate father. The father exploded on the other end of the line, saying to him: "I hold you personally responsible." He was angry because his graduate school-bound daughter had decided to (in his words) 'throw it all away and go do mission work in Haiti with the Presbyterian Church.'" The father screamed, "Isn't it absurd! She has a B.S. degree from Duke, and he is going to dig ditches in Haiti! I hold you responsible for this!"

Willimon said, "Why me?" The father said, "You ingratiated yourself and filled her with all this religion stuff." Will Willimon is not easily intimidated. He asked the father, "Sir, weren't you the one who had her baptized?" "Well, well, well, yes." "And didn't you take her to Sunday School when she was a little girl?" "Well, well, yes."

And didn't you allow your daughter to go on those youth ski trips to Colorado when she was in high school?" "Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Sir, you are the reason she is throwing it all away. You introduced her to Jesus, not me." "But," said the father, "all we wanted was a Presbyterian!"

Willimon, who has an instinct for the jugular, replied, "Well, sorry, sir, you messed up. You've gone and made a disciple."

AMEN