Pooh Corner versus Cat’s in the Cradle

One of God’s gifts to us is “time”. How we use it affects those around us. In my retirement I am spending a lot of precious time with our 4-year-old grandson. He has recently discovered Winnie the Pooh and the 100 Acre Woods. We were listening to Kenny Loggins song “Return to Pooh Corner” and God spoke to me. He reminded me of our four kids when they were young and how I have often related my time with them to Harry Chapin’s song “Cat’s in the Cradle”.

The words in “Return to Pooh Corner” grabbed my attention and I began to cry-

I thought of my “busyness” as a young father working “to get ahead”. Many 50-to-60-hour work weeks building my career. Later, even being caught up in the busyness of serving at church; teaching and serving on the elder board. I remembered not being home for a birthday for our youngest because I said I “had” to go to a board meeting that night after working all day.

After the kids all grew up, many times I remember asking our youngest son about doing things together, but he was always too busy. The words from “Cat’s in the Cradle” would flash back-

I said, I’d like to see you if you don’t mind
He said, I’d love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see, my new job’s a hassle, and the kids have the flu
But it’s sure nice talking to you, Dad
It’s been sure nice talking to you
And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me
He’d grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

“He grew up just like me, my boy was just like me”. Those words cut deep. As I sat reflecting on my  years of parenting and watching our grandson play and sing along with “Return to Pooh Corner”, I began to question why this seems to be the normal for most dads. Why are we too busy to spend time with our little ones? Who are we allowing to influence their lives other than ourselves?

Deuteronomy 6:5-7 says-

⁵ Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶ These commandments that I give you today are to be in your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

That sounds like we are called to spend a lot of our time building into our next generation. I believe as a father, I was too focused on me and what I wanted to do or what the culture or others told me I should do, not on the little people the Lord gifted me with and told me to teach them His ways.

I constantly hear messages from pastors saying you need to serve in the church. The message seems to be you are not a committed Christian if you don’t find a place to serve in your local church. I am aware of a young man with five kids under the age of 10 and a pregnant wife that was told it was his duty to become an elder in his church, which included many meetings and congregational visits. The Body of Christ, or the Church, we are called to serve is not necessarily the building we worship in on Sunday.

In my life there are family members, friends, neighbors, etc. that we are called to minister to when needed. I feel like pastors that spend full time ministering to their congregation lose sight of the busyness of others that have their own full-time jobs away from the church. To the pastor it is all part of his job. To the rest of us it is additional time away from family.

I remember a pastor telling our leadership board that “we need to be willing to work 60 hours a week if we want to build the Kingdom”. Three of us told him, “we already work 60-hour weeks”. He was shocked. A man with five youngsters at home and a pregnant wife is busy already caring for his flock. The term elder should be self-explanatory. The seasoned Christians that are empty nesters should be the elders, not someone in their 20’s and 30’s.

I pray others don’t lose sight of the “Christopher Robins” in their life like I did. They need your influence dad to make their way in this confusing, ever-darkening world they are growing up in.

Here are the lyrics to the two songs. May our Lord help us set our priorities His way.

Return to Pooh Corner – Kenny Loggins

Christopher Robin and I walked along
Under branches lit up by the moon
years of our days disappeared all too soon
But I’ve wandered much further today than I should
And I can’t seem to find my way back to the wood.

So, help me if you can, I’ve got to get
Back to the house at Pooh corner by one
You’d be surprised there’s so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh

Winnie the Pooh doesn’t know what to do
Got a honey jar stuck on his nose
He came to me asking help and advice
And from there no one knows where he goes
So I sent him to ask of the owl if he’s there
How to loosen a jar from the nose of a bear.

So, help me if you can I’ve got to get
Back to the house at Pooh corner by one
You’d be surprised there’s so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh

It’s hard to explain how a few precious things
Seem to follow throughout all our lives
After all’s said and done, I was watching my son
Sleeping there, with my bear by his side
So I tucked him in, I kissed him and as I was going
I swear that old bear whispered, “boy, welcome home.”

Believe me if you can, I’ve finally come
Back to the house at Pooh corner by one
What do you know, there’s so much to be done
Count all the bees in the hive
Chase all the clouds from the sky
Back to the days of Christopher Robin
Back to the ways of Christopher Robin
Back to the days of Pooh.

Cat’s in the Cradle- Harry Chapin

My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talking ‘fore I knew it, and as he grew
He’d say “I’m gonna be like you, Dad”
“You know I’m gonna be like you.”

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
“When you coming home, Dad?” “I don’t know when”
But we’ll get together then
You know we’ll have a good time then.

My son turned ten just the other day
He said, thanks for the ball, Dad, come on let’s play
Can you teach me to throw, I said, not today
I got a lot to do, he said, that’s okay
And he, he walked away, but his smile never dimmed
It said, I’m gonna be like him, yeah
You know I’m gonna be like him

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
“When you coming home, Dad?” “I don’t know when”
But we’ll get together then
You know we’ll have a good time then.

Well, he came from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
Son, I’m proud of you, can you sit for a while?
He shook his head, and they said with a smile
What I’d really like, Dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later, can I have them please?

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
“When you coming home, son?” “I don’t know when”
But we’ll get together then, Dad
You know we’ll have a good time then.

I’ve long since retired, my son’s moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, I’d like to see you if you don’t mind
He said, I’d love to, Dad, if I can find the time
You see, my new job’s a hassle, and the kids have the flu
But it’s sure nice talking to you, Dad
It’s been sure nice talking to you
And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me
He’d grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
“When you coming home, son?” “I don’t know when”
But we’ll get together then, Dad
We’re gonna have a good time then.