Friday, June 17, 2016

Father's Day

First of all, I would like to take a moment and wish a HAPPY FATHERS DAY to those men who have a strong desire to faithfully serve their families on a daily basis. I would also like to say HAPPY FATHERS DAY to those Spiritual Fathers who have poured into our lives through the years. Our earthly father as well as our spiritual fathers have made a difference in our lives to say the least.

In a few days we will celebrate a day in which we honor and remember our earthly Fathers. This will be my first Fathers Day since my Dad passed away 2 1/2 months ago. You probably have heard these words said before but I will say them once more. I have learned to appreciate the moments in which God allows you to interact with those special people that He has placed in your life. It is also true that life is a vapor and that it vanishes quickly. My Dad lived almost one week past his 90th birthday. Yet, I have asked myself, "Where did the time go?" The events in our nation over the past few weeks have reminded us of the brevity of life. I encourage each one of us to cherish those moments of life that God provides for us.




Here is one valuable lesson among many lessons that I have reflected on since my Dad passed away. I remember his actions as much or maybe even more than what he said. His life demonstrated what he believed. He put into action those moral and spiritual principles that he set out to teach me. My Dad was a Bi-Vocational Pastor. He along with my Mom raised six children as well as served various congregations as Pastor through those years. I was able to witness his love in action with his family. I was able to witness his love for God in action on a daily basis. Him and my Mom would care for the lonely, feed the hungry, befriend (NOT DE-FRIEND) the poor and the outcast. My Dad is still alive in my heart and I think of him often. I miss him when I pray because I remember all of the times that we prayed together and I remember all of the prayers that he prayed for his family. I feel the need to pick up his mantle and continue to put into action those principles he modeled before me. I want to leave a mantle that would be worthy enough that my sons would desire to pick it up after my passing from this world. 



I don't mean for these words to sound boastful but I just get tired of hearing about all of the bad fathers in our world. I believe that it is good to remind our society that were men and that there are men who love their families appropriately and correctly. These previous statements lead me to this conclusion. We have to answer this question whether we are a man or a woman; "Am I practicing what I am teaching?" My actions need to match my words.


Let me conclude this post with some words from Dr. James Dobson of Family Talk.

Someone said, “I’d rather see a sermon than hear one.” There is truth to this statement. Children may not remember what you say, but they are usually impacted for life by what you do. Consider the task of teaching your boys to be honest, for example. Yes, you should teach what the Scripture says about truthfulness, but you should also look for opportunities to live according to that standard of righteousness.

I’m reminded of something that happened many years ago in the state of Georgia, when the Bulldogs of Rockdale County High School overcame a big deficit to win the state basketball championship. Coach Cleveland Stroud couldn’t have been more proud of his team. But then a few days later, while watching the game films of the playoffs, he noticed that there was an ineligible player on the court for forty-five seconds during one of the games. He called the Georgia High School Association and reported the violation, costing the school the title and the trophy.

When asked about it at a press conference, Coach Stroud said,

“Some people have said that we should have kept quiet about it. That it was just forty-five seconds, and that the player wasn’t really an impact player. But you gotta’ do what’s honest and right. I told my team that people forget the scores of basketball games. They don’t ever forget what you’re made out of.” You can be certain that every member of the Bulldogs’ team will remember the character of Coach Stroud. 

A letter to the editor of the local newspaper summed it up well, “We have scandals in Washington and cheating on Wall Street. Thank goodness we live in Rockdale County, where honor and integrity are alive and being practiced.” Your boys and girls need to see you doing what is right, even when it is inconvenient to do so. 

This raises a question about the other characteristics you are trying to model for your sons. Have you thought that through? Do you know exactly what you’re trying to accomplish at home? If you’re not sure who you are as a man or what you are trying to say with the “message of your life,” your boys (and girls) will have no consistent example to follow. 

No comments:

Post a Comment