Brief Thoughts on Fatherhood

It's not about sweet first-step scenes on greeting cards, or Norman Rockwell playing catch illustrations.  No, fatherhood is about hands-on Reality.  This image from family archives is a favorite image for this - the dad, once again, helping to keep the college student's old beater running.

In our clan we have dads of all sorts and to me, all heroes in one way or another.  From the story reading, diaper changing young ones, to the one who daily through the years has faced with grace and dealt with the challenges brought by the uninvited guest of autism.

It comes down to the all important love factor.

Thinking back to my own father, I admit there were years of ungrateful youth where I resented him.  His ministry and jobs took him from home much too often.  Yet filtered by time, I have come to realize, absent or not, Daddy gave me the greatest gifts.

He was a Scot, and not given to demonstrative outbursts.  Yet in him I knew I had found complete and total acceptance for who I was "warts and all".  From him I received unconditional love.  Regardless.  I knew, too I was cherished and that all the steps of my days were covered by his prayers.

Much of fatherhood cannot be seen.  Rather it is demonstrated, it is simply given in acts of duty, by love unfaltering, unlimited, unending.

And through these, the youthful heart is prepared to accept Divine Love and the Fatherhood of his or her Creator God.

Praise Him!