Wisdom in Raising Four Sons: Pastor Jae-cheol Lee's Child-Raising Story

The author, Pastor Jae-cheol Lee, is the father of Seung-hoon, Seung-guk, Seung-yoon, and Seung-ju.
He was once a successful businessman, but lived his life chasing worldly desires without a personal encounter with God. After experiencing God at a fairly young age, he studied theology and became a pastor.
This book contains 114 stories about the author's time with his four sons, whom he received as gifts from God, and it contains the author's heart to raise his children according to the Word, even in the small details of daily life.
The author confesses that his children are clear mirrors reflecting himself.
In the words children spoke thoughtlessly, in the way they obeyed their parents' words without question, in the way they sometimes cried and gave up their will, he saw himself as a child standing before God.

『Dads Learning from Children』(Revised 2nd Edition) was first published in 1995 as 『Pastor Dads Learning from Children』, and was revised in 2001 as 『Dads Learning from Children』.
In 2014, it was published as a special edition to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the founding of Hongseongsa.
『Dads Learn from Their Children』(Revised 2nd Edition) corrects typos from the special edition and has a new cover.

“They say heaven is adorned with beautiful jewels.
The road is also a golden road.
They say it's a place where there's absolutely nothing to be sad about.
Everyone is just happy and happy.
That's not all.
It's a place where children can play with lions and the lions don't bite them.
Of course, even snakes full of poison can become people's friends.
“It’s full of all kinds of beautiful flowers… … .”
Seunghoon's eyes sparkled as he listened to his grandmother's words, and his face filled with emotion as he spoke.
“Grandma! Go to heaven quickly.”
This was the greatest confession of love Seunghoon could express to his grandmother, who was touched by his grandmother's words.
It was a child's unadorned expression that, of course, grandmother should go to such a nice place first.
Of course, his mother would have known what Seunghoon meant, but at that moment, a look of undeniable disappointment appeared on his mother's face.
As I watched the scene, I asked myself:
Jaecheol! Are you so sure of heaven that you want to go there quickly?
--- p.45, from “Go to Heaven Quickly”

During family worship time, I explained to the children about the 'outer self' and the 'inner self.'
Since our inner self is our true self, it is more important to properly nourish our inner self than to cultivate our outer self.
It was the next evening.
I was sitting in the living room reading the newspaper when my second son, Seung-guk, came out of his room and saw me and called out, “Dad.”
Then, Seungyoon, the third child, who was five years old and had a toy in the living room, suddenly said this to Seungguk.
“That person is not my father.
“Our real father is inside that guy!”
Of course, those words were spoken by Seungyoon without a complete understanding of the 'outer person' and the 'inner person', but there was truth in those words, and they flew into my heart like a dagger.
--- p.
159, from "Real Dad!"

That evening, after dinner, I was sitting on the living room sofa reading the newspaper.
I heard the third child, Seungyoon, and the youngest, Seungju, chattering behind me, saying “Nimura”, “Nimura”.
I wondered where the children had learned Japanese, so I turned around and saw them holding a piece of candy and pushing it towards each other, saying “Nimura, Nimura,” and laughing all the time.
I couldn't help but ask the kids what 'Nimura' meant.
Seungyoon answered.
“We’re talking about Dad right now.”
When I didn't understand what he was saying, Seungyoon spoke again.
“When Dad tells us what to eat, he says ‘nimura’!”
Only then did I realize what he meant.
In Busan, the phrase 'You eat' is said as 'Nimura', but as the children ignored the Gyeongsang dialect and said it, it became 'Nimura', as if it were Japanese.
I learned Gyeongsang dialect from my father who lived in Busan.
My children are imitating the Gyeongsang dialect from me, who speaks it again.
Isn't this so obvious? So, what are you, a child of God, saying now? Are you the words of God the Father, or the words of the world?
--- p.285, from "Nimura"

As I was driving and turned on the radio, a song started playing.
The youngest, Seung-ju (5th grade), who was quietly listening to the song, asked.

“Why are most of our country’s pop songs about love?”
My wife answered this question.

“That’s because it’s that hard to love.”
That's true.
If only we could love as we pleased, love wouldn't be a pervasive theme in novels, music, and movies, regardless of time or place.
Moreover, there will be no more giving or receiving hurt because of love, and there will be no suffering because Christians cannot love those they are supposed to love properly.
Loving the Lord means loving those whom the Lord loves, and love is not easy, to the point that few Christians feel free from guilt in this regard.
--- p.395, from “Love Song”

My eldest child, who entered Handong University this year, left for Pohang on February 23rd.
After finishing his studies there and serving in the military, he got married… … Thinking like this, Seunghoon had already found his own life and left home.
It wasn't a simple breakup.
After seeing Seunghoon off at Seoul Station that day, I returned home and wrote the above message.
I remember deep in my heart that there is no greater love than to send a child away, along with the freedom the Lord has given me.

--- p.405, from "Letting Go"