A few weeks ago, my wife and I had a couple from church over for dinner. During the meal, I asked them: “What have you been thinking about lately? What ideas or dreams have been at the forefront of your mind?”

The wife responded right away talking about her business -how she wants to grow it, make more money, and be able to give more. It was a sincere answer. But as she spoke, something in me felt off. They have a 1 y/o son who has a nanny, two parents that make well over $200k/year each, and he, nor the household, is not on the front of either of the parents mind. That broke my heart.

It’s not wrong to be driven or generous, but I think we’ve lost something essential. A man in the right frame doesn’t merely support his wife’s dreams -he helps discern them in light of their shared calling, season, and responsibility to their children. If the child and household are being pushed to the periphery, it means the father is absent at the center.