Hugely hypothetical, I know. In my own blog, www.gendads.com, I've stretched now eight letters to my grandsons as posts, all about INTEGRITY. I've had this conviction all my life, but never as well defined 'til now.
THERE IS JUST SOMETHING ABOUT A SOARING BALD EAGLE THAT SHRIEKS "INTEGRITY"
If I had one character trait to instill, this would be it. As I see it, from any culture or generation, INTEGRITY is the keystone. Holds all the other vital character assets in place. It's like the keystone on top of the doorway arch. Entrance is permitted so long as the keystone--as long as INTEGRITY--is in place.. By the way, we Legacy Dads stand clearly on the Christian truths that throughout the Scriptures INTEGRITY is mandated and modeled. I do believe that while INTEGRITY seems to be less popular, less practiced as a whole, serious practicing Christians demonstrate the basic truth of the Gospel that only by the enabling power of God generated out of a personal, forgiven relationship with Him, can any of us come close to the level of INTEGRITY required by God and by society.
So, shall we call this a warm up? When we are committed to living lives that produce a re-generational legacy, we are thinking of various qualities taught and modeled. Not by teachers, Scout leaders, or politician, but by DAD. The success of the "plan" to raise good and godly children depends on a secret ingredient: INTENTIONALITY. So, that's where we'll leave it for now. It's an intro. We are lecturing ourselves. Feel free to join in, argue, or even just watch. And, that's the point. We are trying to encourage each other to MODEL (vice preach, lecture, teach, yell) the character qualities of the future...in our children (or, in my case, GRANDchildren...for, indeed, they are!).
SO, DEAR LEGACY DAD, ARE YOU--YES, YOU!--modelling, demonstrating, living out INTEGRITY?!
Gary