My wife and I purchased some land in the country and built our house in 2000. Our boys grew up playing outside, hunting, fishing, and enjoying life as country boys do. They seemed fearless to the outdoors! Both played baseball in recreational leagues, traveling ball, and local school ball. They were involved in our church as we lived 6 miles away. Life was simple and good.

When my oldest son turned 16 and began driving on his own, the world opened up for him. He dropped sports and pursued, well, things that most teenage boys pursue. He was able to escape the “strict rule” that we had on him and spend time with other teenagers that may not have had strict rules to follow. This new freedom he had led to some poor life choices, which had consequences attached to them.

He got married and had two sons of his own. Church was no longer a priority for him, and he was living life fast paced, burning the candle at both ends. After some very bad life decisions, he found himself divorced and living back at home with us. His “wild life” was now over and he was devastated.

One morning, I was getting ready to leave the house and go to work when I found that I had a flat tire on my patrol vehicle. I came back inside and changed out of my dress uniform. My son got up and asked if I needed help changing the tire. We went outside and I had a conversation with a wayward son, a good conversation. There were things that I needed to tell him as a father, and things he needed to hear as a son. The father/son talk went very well, and it would have never happened had it not been for a flat tire!

Proverbs 22:6 states, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” This has been a verse that I have clung to for years and am pleased to say that what God promises in His Word, he delivers.

Currently, my son is sober, happy, and a better father to his sons. He is making better life choices, and I am very proud of the man he is becoming.

Thank God for flat tires!