Some of my happiest memories as a boy were summer days, when
the daylight lasted well into the evening. It meant that there would be time to
play baseball with my Dad when he got home from work. At a minimum, we could
play catch. Maybe he would hit me a bunch of fly balls, catch me pitching or
throw me batting practice. I must have asked him hundreds of times over the
years to go outside and play baseball growing up. I don’t remember him ever
saying no, despite whatever he dealt with that day at work.
Sunday, June 15, marks Father’s Day. I was fortunate to have
an earthly father who not only spent time with me, but brought me up in the “nurture
and admonition of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:4) Our house was free of bickering or
arguing between Mom and Dad. I never doubted my Dad’s commitment to, or love
for, my Mother. And he made time to do stuff with me as much as
time/circumstances permitted. My Dad wasn’t (and isn’t) perfect, but I had an
example to point me in the right direction as I moved into adulthood. (Prov. 22:6, Train up a child in the way he
should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.)
I share this to make the point of how important my Father
was to my own life. Most importantly, he provided an earthly example of the
love God the Father has for us. Of course, God’s love for us far exceeds our ability
to love one another or our own children. In fact, He loved us so much He sent
His own Son (Jesus) to die in our place for our sins. (John 3:16).
Today, we can see the impact in our culture of fathers who
don’t heed God’s instructions to them. About 40 percent of children today in
the United States are born to families where the father is absent. Fortunately,
we serve a loving God who is able to overcome any faults of our early father. Psalms
68:5: A father of the fatherless,
and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation.
As we approach
Father’s Day, those of us who are fathers should take seriously the role God
has called us to with our families. What is it that our children will remember
about us?
