Day 166 Father's Day

 

6/15/2025

"Our Father, hallowed be Thy Name...."

Matthew 6:9

 

Today is Father's Day, a day many countries celebrate, a day when children, and families honor and remember our loved ones. It's a bittersweet day for me, as my daddy and papa have both long-passed this world, but I have my son, Daniel, who lights up my otherwise mundane days. Well, I guess that's not exactly true, as my days are busy and satisfying, but he certainly does lift my spirits and makes me laugh. Or perhaps it's the other way around, but it works!

Best of all, we can honor the Best Father of All Times - our Abba Father - who loves us unconditionally, never gives up on us, gives us every good and perfect gift, and who holds our future in His hands. Pastor Greg gave us a great reminder that even if you grew up without a father as a role model, you can still be a good father. Using his own life as an example, he shared his own personal journey into fatherhood in his witty, yet honest way, and he brought hope to all fathers that even if they messed things up, there is always opportunity to make it better. I know that my son has problems with his feelings, and although he experienced a lot of trauma in his life and made wrong choices, he did provide guidance to his children. Although he never fathered any children, he had children whom he raised as his own, my grandchildren. Today he spoke to one, and after missed opportunities over recent years, his son called, and they mended things and bridged the gap. Although he didn't hear from all of the kids, this healing made his day much brighter. This is an answer to prayer for me, and I do believe more will come.

Pastor Greg shared a few quotations about fatherhood that provided thought:

 

"A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed,  

and yet is one of the most valuable assets in our society."

Billy Graham

 

"Fathers are the back-up generators of the family. You don't

think about them much until something goes wrong."

Unknown

 

"Even in the animal world, the presence of father figures is

essential to civil behavior, discipline and relational decorum with others."

James Merritt

 

Even in the animal kingdom, good fathers are needed. I have been watching a stray male kitten try to be friends with my outdoors cat, Alex, who prefers outdoor living. The kitten follows Alex around, and as long as he doesn't mess with Alex's food, they can be friends. It's sad to watch when I'm outside, because my cat is jealous, so he doesn't want another cat to come near me. I don't think Alex has had any male leadership, and it makes me wonder if things could have been different, or even if it's too late. Perhaps over time I'll see.

Pastor Greg introduced the older crowd with the term "trad dad." This is slang for fathers who are old school who were raised by stricter parents, who actually disciplined their wayward children, who taught them to take responsibility for their actions, who protected their children, expected to be treated with respect, and who provided spiritual leadership. He also said they still grilled food. I wonder what the new way of doing things is, because my son still uses a grill with charcoal. I guess he's behind the times. He further compared the difference between passive fathers and traditional, godly ones:

 

"Passive fathers avoid conflict and godly fathers resolve it.

Passive fathers go with the flow and godly fathers lead with conviction.

Passive fathers want to be liked and godly fathers want to be respected.

Passive fathers ignore problems and godly fathers tackle them head on.

Passive fathers follow culture and godly fathers follow Christ."   

 

He went on to offer encouragement, again based on his own past in large measure, saying that fathers do not have to be defined by their pasts, that they didn't need to be a biological father to be a good one, as I shared about my son. Even if someone grows up without a father, they can have a father figure in their lives. Greg shared that he had a wonderful father figure in Chuck Smith who was influential in his growth in Christ and in his becoming a pastor. I remember listening to Chuck Smith on the radio each morning when I worked at Medical College of Virginia in the lab. He always shared from the heart, and his messages were always relevant to the time. There's something to be said about "trad dads."

So, all in all, I believe was a nice day for my son, and he even called his dad, hopefully making it a better day for him, as well. Not a day goes by that I don't wish my daddy and papa were still around to talk to about things, especially how to fix this old house. But, they've graduated to heaven where they are sharing daily fellowship with the Father God. I can hardly wait until Jesus returns and takes me to my eternal home. Happy Father's Day, Abba.