Devoted And Dependable “DAD”
“Behold, what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God:
therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.” 1 John 3:1
Father’s Day is
tomorrow! Just the mention of the
words brings a ground swell of emotion in one way or another. For some, it could be the strong reminder of
dad’s presence as a secure figure in the home whom the family could rely upon. One the other hand, as David Popenoe wrote in
an article entitled, “A World Without Fathers,” we live in a society where many
children are increasingly raised apart from a loving father figure.
It’s important to
remember though, whether your experience with a father was positive or left
something to be desired, the picture of a father on earth is meant to point us
to a loving Father in heaven, Who is always available to us. Erma Bombeck once wrote her concept of a
discussion which hypothetically could have taken place in heaven. She writes:
When the good Lord
was creating Fathers he started with a tall frame. When a female angel nearby said, “What kind of Father is that? If you’re
going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put fathers so
high? He won’t be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child in bed
without bending, or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping.” And God smiled and said, “Yes, but if I make him child-size, who would children look up to?”
And when God made
Fathers’ hands, they were large and sinewy.
And the angel shook her head sadly and said, “Do you know what you’re doing? Large hands are clumsy. They can’t manage diaper pins, small buttons,
rubber bands on pony tails or even remove splinters caused by baseball bats.” And God smiled and said, “I know, but they’re large enough to hold everything a small boy
empties from his pockets at the end of the day…yet small enough to cup a
child’s face in his hand.”
And then God molded
long, slim legs and broad shoulders.
And the angel nearly had a heart
attack. “Boy, this is the end of the
week, all right,” she clucked. “Do you
realize you just made a Father without a lap?
How is he going to pull a child close to him without the kid falling between
his legs?” And God smiled and said, “A mother needs a lap. A father needs strong shoulders to pull a
sled, balance a boy on a bicycle, and hold a sleepy head on the way home from
the circus.”
God was in the middle
of creating two of the largest feet anyone had ever seen when the angel could
contain herself no longer. “That’s no fair. Do you honestly think those large boats are
going to dig out of bed early in the morning when the baby cries? Or walk
through a small birthday party without crushing at least three of the guests?” And God smiled and said, “They’ll work. You’ll see. They’ll support a small child who wants to
ride a horse, or scare off mice, or display shoes that will be a challenge to
fill.”
God worked throughout
the night, giving the Father few words, but a firm authoritative voice; eyes
that saw everything, but remained calm and tolerant. Finally, almost as an afterthought, he added
tears. Then he turned to the angels and
said, “Now, are you satisfied that he can
love as much as a mother?” The angel shuteth up.
For those who have a
relationship with God, Father’s Day is a win/win proposition. We can be thankful for an earthly Father
who at the very least, though lacking perfection, participated in your little space on the
planet today, though ever so slightly, and at the most provided, loved, and
cared for you while exemplifying God’s heart.
The other win is that regardless if things were great or not so great
with your father, your spiritual heritage is sign, sealed and delivered with a
relationship with your heavenly Father. The beloved apostle John wrote, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us,
that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not,
because it knew him not.” (1 John 3:1) When we know Him, Father’s Day
takes on a new meaning. As you
find a way to bless a father, guardian, grandfather, or special role model,
remember they worthy of honor and a gift from the Lord…big feet and all.
Terry Risser
Reflections:
1)
Describe
your experience with your father growing up?
2)
What
does your Heavenly Father want to speak to you in answer to that?
Copyright 2014- Terry Risser
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