Dads, Disciple Your Future Son-in-Law (And Any Other Would-Be Suitors Who Prove Not to Be)

Fast forward to the time when one of my daughters is old enough to go on a date (like, in her 30s...okay, MAYBE in her 20s). My plan has long been to greet that guy at the door (this may be difficult when she's away at college, but I need to make it happen so he knows I am EVERYWHERE). I will have my 12 gauge shotgun leaning against my waist, with a shell in one hand and a Sharpie in the other.

Let's call him Joe (I hope his name isn't Joe -- ugh, that got me thinking about what his name is going to be...I don't like any of the names that came to mind). I will show him aforementioned shell, with "JOE" written on it with aforementioned Sharpie. And then I will ask him, "Is that how you spell your name?" And then I will proceed to tell him what time to have her home and how I expect him to treat her while they are out.

Any of you father's out there are welcome to use this idea. You can even borrow my gun and my Sharpie -- as long as it's not a date night.

That being said, I recently ran across a blog post on the Desiring God blog. It's entitled, "Dads, Date Your Daughter's Boyfriend." I'd pick a different title, but other than that it is REALLY GOOD. If you are a dad of a daughter - whether she's 2 or 22 - you need to read it.

And one more recommendation: if your daughter is in middle school or high school, read this post with her and talk about it. I did with Hannah on a recent "daddy-daughter date" and it was a good opportunity to talk through these issues proactively.