I grew up looking at a cross stitch that said, “Anyone can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad.” My mom stitched it for my grandfather. As a child I didn’t think much of it; however, as an adult, it means a lot more. Any male can be a father but not all men are dads. Dads come in all shapes, sizes, relationship titles, etc. I don’t think good dads get enough credit. I know that culture has soured on fatherhood and the bad ones seem to get the limelight because of their mistakes. But I know there are good men out there who deserve recognition (I was raised by one and I’m married to another one!) A dad is a special person that possesses certain special qualities embodied by these fathers in the Bible.
Adam was the first man on earth, and the first man without an instruction book. Adam had to rely completely on his Heavenly Father for advice and instruction. Since the written word did not yet exist, he had to keep returning to GOD for advice. This is the example we should follow, seeking God for advice and instruction. We have the written Word and should be using it as a guidebook as we parent our children. (Genesis 1-4). Adam demonstrates wisdom in where he turns for advice and guidance: God.
Joseph was Jesus’ earthly dad. Joseph was definitely a faithful, upstanding guy. He could have turned his back on Mary when she shared the news of her pregnancy but he didn’t. God intervened with Joseph and set the record straight. Joseph took on the role of Jesus’ earthly dad, teaching Him carpentry skills. I’m sure that being Dad to the Son of God was intimidating, but God must have thought a lot of him in order to give him that privilege. (Matthew 1:18-25). Being a parent is intimidating but God gives us the privilege of raising the next generation, and because of this example we know that God is with us through it all.
Jairus’ story is mentioned in three of the four gospels. Jairus was at the end of his rope, Matthew says his daughter had died; Mark and Luke say that his daughter is dying – either way it was dire. (Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:21-43 and Luke 8:40-56). In all the accounts, Jairus, a local synagogue leader, came to Jesus begging Him to heal his daughter. Jairus had exhausted all means of trying to heal her on his own and was unsuccessful, so he faithfully turned to Jesus, and his daughter was healed.
The Father of the prodigal appears in one of my favorite passages. After the son has gone and wasted his inheritance, and decides to humble himself and come home. He didn’t know what to expect when he arrived, so I’m guessing he was probably surprised at the warm homecoming that he received. While he was still in the distance, his dad was waiting on him and welcomed him home with open arms. I know that some don’t understand this, but when you’ve sinned and gone down the wrong path, our Heavenly Father does the same for us. He’s thrilled that you have turned from your sin and come home to Him, which leads me to the next father, our Heavenly Father.
God the Father is our ultimate Dad. He is constant, He doesn’t change. He is the same today, yesterday, and tomorrow. (Hebrews 13:8). He is faithful and loving (Psalm 145:8-10). He is strong and protects his children (Psalm 91:4). He is loving and compassionate and He is patient (Exodus 36:4). He gave his only Son to die on the cross for us, a death that WE deserved (John 3:16-17). He is patient, wanting others to repent and slow to get angry (2 Peter 3:9-10). He is the prime example of a Dad; we all fall short of those qualities at times because we are human, but He never falls short!
God gave us the men in our lives and He is the ultimate Father. From these fathers in the Bible, we learn to lean into God and ask for advice from Him and His instruction book – the Bible. When we turn to Jesus he will heal us (sometimes the healing isn’t on this side of heaven). When we turn from sin and come home to Him, our Heavenly Father is joyfully waiting on us with arms wide open. God is constant and faithful. He is loving and compassionate toward his children.
These qualities are all qualities that I see in my own Dad. He is kind and compassionate, and willing to help anyone out. He is hardworking, wise, and quiet. So when he speaks, you better listen (too bad I didn’t always listen I could have saved myself some heartache). He is always there for me and my family, and even when he does not agree with my decisions, he still supports me. When my son was born and things were dire, he taught me that we never give up. He told me to get out of the wheelchair, that we were going to walk down the hall. That hallway seemed like it was a mile long – of course, it wasn’t but at the time it seemed that far. I’d had a c-section the day before and all I wanted to do was curl up and wallow somewhere. He gently told me, “Jackson is going to need a strong mom, so you have to get up and walk.” Those words stuck with me. On days that I am struggling, I need to get up and put one foot in front of the other and not give up. Trust me, I didn’t want to, but I knew that my Dad was right. He has been in hard situations where he just had to get up and put one foot in front of the other.
He’s taught me that hard work pays off; this man never stops. Even though life has thrown him so pretty huge curveballs he has persevered. He is one that I call on my way home from the drop-off line at school and one of my personal taxis to the hospital for appointments. He is the one I constantly talk to about food – I mean, I like to know what my next meal is going to be – and what’s on sale at the grocery store each week (he gets it, we have to plan it out!). He and Mom helped me face my fear of the pressure cooker in order to successfully learn how to can food. I’m still a little timid with it, but I’m learning and my parents are still there with me supporting and encouraging me to learn new things, even when they are a bit intimidating.
Be the man that you want your daughter/niece/granddaughter to compare every guy to. The examples that you show her will eventually sink in and she’ll end up comparing every boy/man to you. I know that I was blessed to find a man whom I later married (see last week’s post) who also possesses these qualities, and for that I am grateful.
Father’s Day is hard for some, and for that, I am sorry. If I could hug you and tell you that in person, I would. I don’t want others to hurt. I know that not everyone has had the childhood I did, and that the pain and hurt are real. I encourage you today to let Our Heavenly Father into that pain and hurt, let Him heal you just as He did for Jairus’ daughter. He is the Great Physician, and nothing is too big for Him.
Which special man in your life are you celebrating today? (It can be your Dad, Granddad, Brother, Funcle – your fun uncle, Spouse, Significant Other, Son or Friend)
