Celebrating Father's Day

I am so thankful there is a special day to honor fathers. I hope each of you were able to celebrate in some way, whether by talking to your father, writing him a note or card, or simply remembering good things he did or the positive influence he had on your life as you were growing up.

My father is not alive, but I have spent some time thinking about some of the memorable times I had with him. I was born 3 weeks late, to be born on my father’s birthday. We celebrated every year together , most often with a watermelon loaded with candles rather than a birthday cake. I still prefer watermelon to cake. My father was a very accomplished pianist, and I remember times when I would sit at the piano with him as he would teach me a piece of music and then we would play a duet together.

I became a Christian as an adult, and that is when I learned that I have another Father – a heavenly One. He is the One who created me in the first place out of His heart of love. He also has a unique and divine purpose for my life. My earthly parents had to take what they got, but my heavenly Father knew what I would be and loved me before He created me (Ephesians 1:4, Psalm 139, Jeremiah 1:4-5. Galatians 1:15).

Many of the things I have learned about my heavenly Father have come from watching my husband, Charlie, as he demonstrated the character of God the Father in his relationship with our daughters. It was through him that I came to understand the unconditional love and grace of God. I could write pages of things I have learned about my heavenly Father from observing my husband. Even now, as our children are grown, he prays daily for them and their families, and he goes out of his way to show love and care for them. He always expected the best from them, but was willing to do whatever it took to help them accomplish that “best.” Many of his strengths of character and integrity are now obvious in our daughters.

This morning in church, as we celebrated our earthly fathers and our Heavenly Father, I was aware that many of the men and women I knew were having a struggle celebrating. Some of them grew up without a father…either because their father died when they were young, or because he abandoned the family. Some of them had fathers who were gone more than they were home. Others had fathers who, when they were home, they did not show interest in or spend time with their children. We talked to a young woman yesterday who waited on us at dinner. When Charlie asked how she was going to celebrate Father's Day, she said her father was a mean and violent man. All of those things can leave pain, rejection, or a void in our lives, and can keep us from moving forward into all the blessings God wants to give to us. And sometimes we grow up believing the lie that our Heavenly Father is like our earthly father.

None of our earthly parents were perfect. Yet, even in the first few chapters of the Bible, we see that the first man and woman had a perfect Father – God, Himself, yet, they still made ungodly choices. This says to me that even if our parents had been perfect, we probably would not have been!

I have learned over the years that I cannot change my past and I cannot change other people. By God's grace and with His help, I can only change myself and my perspective. Also, it does me no good to try to blame the failures of others for MY wrong attitudes and actions.

I lived with bitterness far too long. When I forgave my earthly parents for their failures, then my Heavenly Father began the healing process in my heart. At first I had to make a concentrated effort to look for good memories. Then I found that I could look at even the bad memories and God would show me how He had turned even those things into strengths in my life. There is nothing He cannot redeem in our lives and use for our good and for His glory (Romans 8:28).

I hope you can celebrate having a Godly earthly father. But if you cannot, I pray you will take the time to spend part of Father’s Day (and every day) with your heavenly Father, who loves you beyond words. He alone can fill any voids left by imperfect parents. He will never reject you (Hebrews 13:5). He wants you to experience His love that heals all wounds. What we missed in relationship with our earthly fathers, we can have that and far more with our Heavenly Father who desires above all things to have fellowship with us. Just think, the God who created the universe loves you and wants to spend time with you - now and for eternity. How precious and amazing is that? I think I will stop writing and go spend time with Him…celebrating His love for me and for you!