Father’s Day can be complicated. I am grateful to be the Father of 4 sons, who have become men. I remember times when we were all younger and we loaded the van and went to A&W Rootbeer for Father’s Day. We sat, windows open, 50’s music blaring and awaiting our bacon cheeseburgers and rootbeer being delivered by roller-skating car hops! Those were simple and special days.
This Father’s Day, I had the privilege to be with our eldest son, who is now a Dad of 2! The second arrived just in time to be a great Father’s day present himself.
This day is also filled with thoughts of the Dads in my life. This Father’s Day, I am so grateful for a faithful Dad-in-law (Darrel), who has trusted me with his daughter and always made room for me in his family. I also am missing my Dad (Marvin). These are the days I want to pick of the phone and hear his voice again. I want to hear him ask how life is going? And I want to tell him it is good. And today, I am missing for the first time, a Stepdad (John), who just entered eternity 8 days ago.
I wondered as I drove home today, what makes a good Dad? I can be sure, a good Dad doesn’t have it all together. If that were the standard, I don’t know a Dad who would meet that criteria. A good Dad gives the best of all he has for those he’s been given to love. He serves; he strives; and ultimately he knows it’s not about him, but about those who are coming behind.
Can we, as Dad’s, go one further? Can we go from being a good Dad, to a great Dad? What makes a Dad great? A great Dad points his kids to the only Perfect Dad, who can do all he can’t! We have a perfect Father in heaven. Jesus said in the Lord’s prayer that our Perfect Dad is the one who makes the Kingdom of God real. He is the one who gives daily bread. He forgives our biggest and smallest bad choices. And He also protects us from making more bad choices (Matthew 6:6-9). He is the Dad who will be there, even when our Dads can’t.
I thank God for great Dads who pointed me, and still do, to my Perfect Dad. I pray, I can do as well as they have and someday be counted as great.
Wow! Thank you for posting this!