There’s something about a father’s love that is pretty special.  I was reminded of it today as I spent Father’s Day Eve with my own dad hitting golf balls.  I was reminded again this evening at Church when my pastor preached on our Heavenly Father’s love for all of us.  And I was so very grateful of my earthly father’s and Heavenly Father’s love for me as I witnessed members of my church family seek out the blessings their Heavenly Father gives, that their earthly fathers were unable (or unwilling) to articulate.  

Our Pastor, Mike Erre (also a Conversant blogger, by the way), painted this picture from another pastor at our church:  imagine a father, sitting alongside his son or daughter, looking them in the eye and saying, “Out of all the little girls in the world, the blond ones, the brunette ones, the short ones, the tall ones, the ones that can run fast and jump high, or the ones that can’t, the ones that are serious, or silly, out of all those little girls, I would choose you.  If I had to do it over and over again, I would choose you again and again.”

What an amazing portrait of the extent of a father’s love for us.  And after Mike shared that story, there was an opportunity for members of our church family to hear that same blessing from our Heavenly Father, especially if they had not heard it from their earthly father.  It was an amazing opportunity to witness broken people become restored, awash in love.  And it is also a sobering reminder of the great responsibility fathers have to provide that validation to their own kids.  

When Pastor Mike was offering that call to come forward, I wasn’t sure if I should go forward or not.  Growing up, my dad and I didn’t have many deep chats.  In high school, I was involved in a ton of different activities, and I don’t think either of us made it a high priority to take time to connect.  It wasn’t until college when those conversations started to happen - and I started to see my dad in a new light.  I was curious to hear his thoughts on things (and wouldn’t want to instantly rebel against his advice) and enjoyed hanging out with him.  As our relationship was starting to mature, he got extremely sick and went through a long recovery to get to where he is today.  Now, it’s difficult for my dad to hear - which can make deeper conversations harder to come by.  

All of these thoughts rushed through my head as I wondered if I’d ever really heard the type of validation Mike described.  And then I remembered what my dad said this morning. I walked in the door to pick him up to hit some golf balls.  With a wide grin on his face, and excitement in his voice, he said:

“Ready to hit some balls, son?”  

His joy was in spending time with me.  Out of all the kids in the world, he would choose me again and again.  

To all the fathers out there - be blessed for the role you play in your children’s lives.  Your strength, your guidance, your way of loving, are important elements in the development of your kids.  One only needs to talk to an adult without a strong father (or father figure) in their life to know the hurt that can come from a broken father/child relationship.  Delight in your children the same way Abba Father delights in us.

To my dad - thank you for your love.  And thank you for reminding me of our Father’s love for us.  Your strength has always been a source of strength for me. I love you.