“Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” – Matthew 7:9-11, KJV
Father’s Day is a complicated day for many.
Joy…
Sadness…
Anger.
Joy: One of my favorite new roles was becoming Daddy to Munckin. She embodies the realization of a loss dream restored–i.e. my dream of being a father. My heart is truly full of joy thinking about her.
Sadness & Anger: I remember hearing a story about how charity organization offered greeting cards in a prison for Mother’s Day, and these cards were quickly snatched up by the inmates. Then they tried the same sort of thing for Father’s Day. No one picked up a single card. Antagonistic or non-existent relationships with fathers were what they discovered at the root of this behavior.
Today, I want us all to remember that we can rejoice on Father’s Day because everyone has one perfect father, God. We have a Father in Heaven who is even better than a good earthly father (which I was thankfully given). He knows our needs and cares for us as Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount.
So, if you are lamenting the loss of a father this day–whether through their sinful poor choices or through death, I just want to encourage you.
You are not alone.
And you are never fatherless (see Psalm 68:5).
Nor are your children.
Finally, to those dads out there wading through the deep waters of infidelity discovery, abandonment, and/or divorce, I want to celebrate you. Way to hang in there! This is your day even if it breaks your heart not having as much time with your children as you might like. God sees you. And we celebrate you and your hard efforts on this Father’s Day!
Happy Father’s Day. You are a good Dad!