Bill Glass and the Blessing
Bill Glass died on December 5. He was a defensive end for the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns in the early 60’s, and a member of the 1964 Browns NFL Championship team. It’s impressive enough that he was a professional athlete, but the significance of his life began after his football days ended. Glass was a Christian and a father. He learned early the value of a loving and affirming father because he had one. Through football he realized that not all young men had the same kind of father he did. He applied the lessons his father taught him to his own children. They need love, affirmation, physical touch, and to know that no matter what, you will always love them unconditionally.
He thought about other young men who lacked the love of a father, and that drove him to start a prison ministry called Behind the Walls. Glass learned that the one characteristic almost all prisoners share is an absent or unloving father. He preached the power of forgiving their earthly fathers and embracing their heavenly father, who loves them unconditionally. He preached that message in prisons every day for 50 years. There’s no telling how many prisoners came to faith and experienced some measure of healing because of Bill Glass.
He wrote a book called Champions for Life that I read a few years ago, and just re-read again this week. If you’re a father, I can’t recommend this book more highly. If you’ve messed up with your kids, and who of us hasn’t, it’s not too late to fix it. Glass describes what he calls giving “the blessing” in his book. Every child needs it, and not only when they’re young, but every day, no matter how old they are. The blessing is to tell your child, “I love you. You are mine. I’m proud of you and I think you’re great.” He said that to his kids at every opportunity.
It is impossible to overestimate the power of words. Glass told a story in the book of when he was five years old, he overheard his mother tell a friend that he was not that good-looking. He said he carried that scar every day of his life. Parents, our words affect our children. I learned recently how my words hurt one of my own children, which is why I’m writing about Bill Glass’s life today.
Men, it’s not unmanly to tell our children how much we love them and how proud we are of them. I think it's unmanly not to. Our kids need it and crave it. If you’re devastated because your relationship with your kids is broken and you don’t know what to do, start by giving them the blessing. Repeat, “I love you. You are mine. I’m proud of you and I think you’re great.” Colossians 3:21 says, “Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.” Give them the blessing.
The world will do all it can to beat our kids down. Parents need to build them up, stand in their corner, let them know we will always have their back, and that we will always love them no matter what. They need to know, as Glass said, that we are their “Champions for Life.”
P.S. Here’s the link to the book.
https://www.amazon.com/Champi.../dp/0757302505/ref=sr_1_4...
