Not all of us have had fathers matching those on sitcom shows where we ended up with an ice cream or a Life Saver candy after messing up an event or flunking a class, etc. We may not have always received a pat on the back as an act of confirmation; maybe a pat across somewhere else, if you know what I mean. Relating to our earthly dads can sometimes be difficult. As a result, understanding our heavenly Father can be a hang-up or a challenge for many of us since the closest to Him might be, or have been, an abusive dad or someone who fell short of our definition (or God’s, for that matter) of what a loving dad ought to be.
Granted, not all dads fall short of loving their kids. They don’t all break their promises. It’s a fact that being a loving and caring father requires lots of work, dedication, planning, and love. There are many kids out there growing up without a dad; without a male figure to relate to; without a friend with whom they can go camping with, fish with, shoot some baskets with, talk about life issues with, or wrestle across the floor with.
Back in New York, I once read about some famous man who gave his son the best gift he could afford to give: he dedicated something like one hour a day to spending time with him. I remember thinking I’d go nuts if I gave an hour a day, each day to each of my three kids! I decided to modify that. Once a week, I’d give each child thirty minutes. We’d begin with a prayer, discuss bible teachings, cover school/home situations, and then we’d wrestle! We would have lots of fun rolling all over the floor, bopping each other over the head with pillows, etc. As the kids grew, we’d play basketball outside. Then came boyfriends and what to do in the future. We’d have lots of family meetings where we’d agree to change the way things were done or how to improve things. The bottom line was that the kids knew their father was always present in their lives. He took time to get to know their joys and hurts. This dad was an integral part of his kids’ lives.
Only you know where you are right now in life. Only you know the joys and/or hardships of having had or not having had a father in your life. You might be someone’s Lil’ boy or some dad’s Lil’ girl. It might be that’s it’s been a while since you last saw or spoke to him. Maybe you burned all those bridges behind you years ago and have never looked back. Deep, deep inside, you’re still his little child. He still yearns to hold you close. I know every time I see my son, my 38 yr old son, I hug him and kiss him on the cheek. He’s still that little boy in a crib playing hide-&-go-seek. Despite of all types of hardships, family relationships are most important in my life.
This morning at 5:28 a.m. our youngest daughter called me from Jerusalem to wish me a happy Father’s Day. That was nice. Back in our wrestling days, she was the one beating the daylights out of me. Glad she wasn’t close enough to whack me out today at age 35! But that’s life. Reach out to your father if possible. Forgive him if that’s what’s needed. Let him know he’s appreciated. Love him. If he’s long-gone, honor his memory. Think of your heavenly Father and how He’s always there holding you in His arms in the spiritual realm. He longs to hear your stories. He longs to know what things you wrestle with. He makes himself available to you not for thirty minutes, but all the time you need.
This afternoon my wife shared with me how at age 14 she wished she had a dad. Her sisters had one, but hers had left a long time ago. As she cried out to God wanting to know why she didn’t have one like they did, she felt Him embrace her and tell her, “I am your dad.” Tears swelled in her eyes back then just like they did today decades later, recalling His embrace, His care, His tender mercies towards her, and His commitment to staying by her side all these years. Our heavenly Father makes no distinction of persons. He loves us all the same and gave His Son Jesus to lay His life for us that we may be called children of God. Happy Father’s Day!