Father's Day

Father's Day is a national holiday day to honor our fathers. The first celebration of Father’s Day was on June 10, 1910. Richard Nixon made it a national holiday in 1972. This was 58 years after Woodrow Wilson made Mother's Day a national holiday. 

I have spoken to quite a few people whose relationships with their fathers are from ideal. Some children hate their dads. Some dads are absent, some are abusive, and some just do not seem to care. There are many other reasons that some are distant with their fathers. 

I had a very good relationship with my dad. Growing up, my dad worked out of town most of the time but was home on weekends. He still found a way to attend the things in which I was involved. He brought me to practices. He would occasionally play basketball with me. (Apparently not enough, because I still stink at the game.) When I was in college, he drove 4 hours to come see me just to give me encouraging words and returned home the same day. 

My dad was a very loving man, a very generous man, and a very trustworthy dad. My dad also had the same stories as other dads did. He walked uphill to school in the snow both ways every day. He only slightly exaggerated since he grew up in a place with no hills and no snow. I know one thing. I always wanted to be like him. 

When it came to discipline, it was there when needed. When it came to love, he demonstrated it. When it came to his kids' needs, he provided for them. My dad enjoyed life. I still want to be like him.

This makes me think of my heavenly Father. Some people tend to stay clear of God because base their understanding of God on an earthly father figure. If you did not see your father in a good way, it is hard to honor God as Father. However, we cannot compare God to our biological links into this world. 

God's love is unconditional. If you mess up, he still loves you. If you do not mess up, he loves you. God is just and disciplines us when we do something wrong, but he mixes mercy with it. God wants us to have a relationship with him. He is always there for us. Our problem is that we do not always see Him because we shift focus to other things. 

I hope you had a dad as great as mine. However, if you did not, I hope you will honor your heavenly Father who cares for you and wants the best for you.