June 1995
Willie, a tike of three, liked to play dress up
With his big sister, Jan, who helped him with the buttons,
They were finishing breakfast and he set down his coffee cup
"Well, I'd better be off, dear." he grinned. "See you later,
hon."
Holding his dad's brown pants up with both hands
He clomped out the door in big, black dress shoes,
With a tan sport jacket and a wide tie, he was quite a little
man
Off to fight the big "dragon of commerce" he couldn't lose!
Soon he clomped back in with a tired smile on his boyish face
"Did you have a hard day at the office, dear?" Jan said,
Nodding, he sat down and sighed, "What a rat race."
They giggled over the strange words their dad had said.
Mr. Parker slipped in and stood listening at the door
He smiled and thought, "That's my boy! He's got me down good!"
"Daddy's shoes sure are big." Willie said as they dropped to
the floor
"Yes, and you'll wear a pair just like them when you grow to
manhood."
He looked at her anxiously with shining, blue eyes
"Oh, really?" he asked cocking his head to one side,
"Jan, Willie, supper is in five minutes!" called their mother
They scrambled out of their play clothes, opened the closet door
and shoved them inside.
After they'd race by, Mr. Parker went into the room
The toe of his shoe peeked from beneath the rumpled bed,
Stooping, he retreived it and gazed at it a long while
"Father, help me to prepare my children for what lies ahead.
May I walk before them in all honesty and truth
With the humility and grace of a Christian dad,
Training them in Your way all the days of their youth
And when they wear big shoes we both will be glad."
