“And, ye
fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4 KJV)
This
Sunday, June 21, 2015, is a special day. A day we set aside to honor those special men in
our lives who are fathers—biological/adoptive—as well as spiritual.
It has been
said that any man can be a father but few can be a daddy. (Fathers create—and can leave, while daddies
are there for their children—they nurture and help their children develop.) They are the ones who discipline and love and
protect. It takes a special man to be a
daddy.
At the
outset, I realize some reading this post will have had a challenging
relationship with their earthly dad, or perhaps a beloved dad has passed away,
or a dad is no longer dad due to a variety of health issues/dementia. My prayer for you is that you will experience God’s
comforting, healing presence in the days ahead.
Moreover,
there are some reading this post who had a dad that passed away before they had
a chance to know him, this is true for me.
Father’s Day can be challenging, yet it is possible to experience the loving
presence of God.
My dad and mom and me Thanksgiving 1971 |
I am
thankful for some special men who the Lord brought into my life—some for a short
season and others for a long season. I
am especially thankful for my spiritual father who has mentored me in the faith
and taught me so much about living for and serving the Lord over the last
several years. God knew that I needed a
godly male role model and brought him into my life at just the right time.
Who in your
life is a spiritual father? How can you
be a spiritual father (or parent!) to someone in your life?
In the Scriptures
we read that dads are to teach their children about the Lord and treat them with
decency and respect, as we see in the above passage from Ephesians. However, many times this does not happen;
children end up hurting and lost, looking to others for the guidance they need.
Despite our
relationship with our earthly fathers, we can have a relationship with our
Heavenly Father. He is an amazing, loving
daddy. For those of you who are not
fathers, thank you for being spiritual fathers!
Spend some time thinking about how you can help the fatherless.
How can you
reach out to those without fathers?
Please
join with me in prayer:
Dear
Father, thank You for the fathers who gave us life and love. We thank you for those fathers who teach
their children about You. Encourage
those men who are not fathers in society’s eyes—help them to see how they can
be spiritual fathers. Encourage fathers
who only see their shortcomings and failures to see what they do well. For those who do not have fathers or have a
difficult relationship with their father, grant them comfort; help them to find
spiritual fathers to guide and direct them.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
From
My Heart to Yours,
Kim
Such a sensitive and touching tribute to dads everywhere, Kim. I love how you keep steering us back toward our heavenly Father for guidance and love, and acknowledge the many different dads we can experience in this life.
ReplyDeleteLove and blessings!
Thank you for your kind words of affirmation, Martha. It really is all about God! I'm still trying to understand the whole concept of who a dad is and what a dad does. My spiritual dad is such a blessing to me, so thankful that God brought him into my life when He did.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Thank you for your kind words of affirmation, Martha. It really is all about God! I'm still trying to understand the whole concept of who a dad is and what a dad does. My spiritual dad is such a blessing to me, so thankful that God brought him into my life when He did.
DeleteLove and blessings!
Hi Kim! I hope you had a great Father's Day. That photo of you with your parents is so sweet. They look so happy!
ReplyDeleteI am blessed to have a loving father in my life, even at the age of 90. Like you, I know of people who have not had very good male role models in their lives, and they may have even caused pain. How blessed we are to always know we have Our Father in heaven as the greatest role model of all.
Blessings!
Ceil
Hi Ceil! I had a nice Father's Day at church and Sunday school--I even was able to chat a bit with the man I consider my spiritual dad. Thank you for the comment regarding the photo--it's one of about two or three that I have of the three of us. My dad passed away in May 1972.
DeleteI'm glad that you still have your dad, and that he is a loving father too. I do my best to look to my Heavenly Father--One who is always there and always available. And as you said, "the greatest role model of all." I hope you had a great Father's Day too!
Blessings!
Kim