This past weekend it was Father's Day here in the United States. It is usually a nice time for us to celebrate the Dads that make a difference in our lives everyday. In our family we usually celebrate by cooking one of my husband's favorite meals, leaving the house so he can take a nap, and giving him a home made spa treatment. The children love getting a chance to pick a simple gift and give dad the special attention he deserves. It is a fun idea.
Although our Father's Day weekend was a time of fun and activities, I have noticed that many are not celebrating this day. It was first brought to my attention in worship. The Pastor was sharing a sermon about fathers and the great influence they have on their children. He was helping us all to see how we have a responsibility to take our faith and knowledge of Christ's amazing love and share it with the children we come in contact with. The sermon had just begun when a gentlemen stood up and walked out of the service declaring, "I didn't have a father." We spoke after the service, and he didn't seem interested in hearing the details of the sermon, he just wanted to keep declaring, "I didn't have a father." In the evening, my social media page was filled with similar statements. Father's Day is a tough day for many.
On one hand, I can completely relate to these sentiments. I have never met my father. He left before I was born and I have no idea where he might be. When I was in college I was able to find his mother, my grandmother. She wrote to me for several months, but then she told me she couldn't write any longer (I think my father told her to stop). I am also assuming that she has passed away because I am not able to find her any longer. It is sad, I wish I had an opportunity to know them both.
This lack of a father in my life has helped to shape who I am. I knew that I did not want my children growing up without a father, so I was very picky about whom I felt God was leading me to marry. I also developed a heart for children that were in the same situation. Children without fathers have many emotional gaps in their lives. This is one reason that we have added two fatherless children to our family. Our desire is to help them see a different definition of family and help them see how they can break the cycle of fatherlessness that they were born from. (They are the 3rd generation in their biological family to have a fatherless home)
However, the fact that I am fatherless does not define who I am! I now have the greatest father ever, the Heavenly Father. He is the most amazing father that anyone could ask for. He created me, He showers me with blessings and He loves me unconditionally. He knows my needs, my secrets, my deepest dreams and He cares for my every need. He is your Heavenly Father too! I encourage you to claim His love if you are struggling with not having an earthly father.
I would also love to encourage you to reach out to others. If your family is blessed to have both a mother and a father, reach out to a family or two who does not. Children NEED to have time with both a mother and a father. Maybe you know a family where the father has died, left or was never involved at all. Take a moment, get to know the family and invest in those children. Maybe they would love to go fishing with you or even just out for ice cream. Fathers don't need to do anything special, it is special just spending time together. I was truly blessed to have a wonderful Grandfather and some fun loving Uncles that invested time in my life; it made an incredible difference for me. You don't need to invest a ton of time, even just three or four times a year will make a wonderful difference.
It is abundantly clear to me, after the reactions from this past weekend that there are many hurting people in our world today. Many of them are hurting because they don't have an earthly father involved in their lives. We can do something about this, let us share the love and knowledge of Christ with those God has placed in our path. There are over 40 verses in the Bible about fatherless people, and almost every verse is telling us that we need to care for them and help them to live their lives to the full potential God has intended for them. I pray that we will all have the courage to start a new relationship with a fatherless child and share God's amazing love with them!
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