Here is a picture of a Lego dad because reasons.
So the whole "what does success look like" thing is hard. I'm working on it. It will take some time. Especially since Tom Clancy's The Division is coming soon to an XboxOne/PS4 near you. And obviously I have to play it. A lot. But in the mean time I was thinking as I usually do about completely random, seemingly useless stuff. In this case Legos. Yes those Legos. The super awesome building blocks that provide hours of fun and enjoyment by day, and become terrible pieces of pain and torture by night. Seriously, if your blue haired little 'ole Saint like grandma steps on one on the way to the bathroom in the middle of the night they will cause her to speak words that would make a pirate blush.
At at this point you may be thinking, "Lowell, I see you are getting better at writing run on sentences, and your hair is really awesome and you are super handsome, but what do Legos and swearing grandmothers have to do with marriage, or being a husband, or family life, or the Bible?" Yup, I'm a mind reader. Don't tell Chenee or I won't be able to use that excuse anymore. But seriously, Legos provided me with something that is incredibly useful even now. The ability to follow instructions.
That is a big deal on several levels. The ability to follow instructions the way they are written will effect you throughout your entire life. Learning that one simple but difficult skill early in life will make learning other things later on that much easier. I do want to clarify that I think there is a difference between "instructions" and "directions." Instructions are about teaching and directions are about alignment and orders and being led. Look it up nerds. Both have their place but I feel like instructions do more to promote independent thought and action.
Proverbs 22:6 (KJV)
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
I love this verse. Not only does it apply to faith, it applies to a child's entire life. As parents we are responsible for teaching them how to be good members of society.
Legos do a great job of instilling the life skill of following instructions in a way that is fun, challenging, rewarding, and repeatable. Children engage both their analytical and creative processes. And it will stay with them for their entire life.
You need to be able to follow instructions for the following things...
Taking tests - Many certification tests in adult life are designed to trick you into answering wrongly, not test your actual knowledge base about a particular topic. You are being tested to see if you can follow instructions.
Building IKEA furniture - Part of surviving college and early adulthood will depend on your ability to build your malm dresser so that the drawers actually open and close.
Feeding yourself - starts with Tina's microwave burritos, then progresses to Kraft macaroni and cheese, then to Cookbooks and Internet recipes.
Job Applications - don't mess this one up. It's kind of a big deal.
Doing your taxes - at least until you can afford to pay someone else to do them for you.
I could go on and on but I will cover just one more ultra important one.
The Bible - These are God's instructions to us on how to live. There are tons of "how to's" in the bible. Like how to be a good husband or wife, how to be a good parent, how to be a good son/daughter, how to be a good friend, how to be a good enemy, how to be a good disciple, how to be a good teacher, and how to be a good Christian.
And you thought Legos were just toys.