Scotland’s James Boswell was a lawyer and writer. He is best known for The Life of Samuel Johnson, his biography of the famous English literary figure Samuel Johnson. That biography is considered by many to be the greatest biography ever written.

James Boswell was the oldest son of Judge Alexander Boswell. As a child, James suffered from a nervous condition. He also felt that his father was too strict. Perhaps this explains why one particular day from his childhood made such an impression on him. It was a day in which his father took the day off to take young James fishing.

In his adult years, James would frequently talk about that day and recount the things his father taught him over the course of it. He spoke of the day so much that someone eventually decided to check Alexander Boswell’s journal entry for the day. And what did they find when they dug out the father’s old journal and turned to the day in question? Alexander had entered only one sentence on that page. It read: “Gone fishing with my son; a day wasted.”

A day wasted. Can you believe that? Going into that day, Alexander Boswell assumed that the day his son would later classify as the highlight of his childhood would be a day lost on the seemingly unproductive task of fishing. Dads, if that doesn’t send a chill down our spines, it should. You just never know what seemingly inconsequential event, trip, vacation, conversation, moment, etc. will make an indelible impression upon your child, an impression the child will carry throughout adulthood.

This is why you must always be on the job, always at your post, always walking in tune with Jesus Christ. Only He knows what your child needs from you and precisely when he or she needs it. So, in order for you to be the best dad you can be, you need to not only place saving belief in Christ but also get up each day and let Him guide you through the day. That’s your best shot at ensuring that you won’t miss an all-important, perhaps even life-changing, experience with your child. I realize it’s a scary thought, but the fact is that, in actuality, a day “fishing” (or whatever word is applicable to your child’s situation) just might be the hinge upon which the course of your child’s life hangs.