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I am so lucky to have such a loving, loveable son. Even when he is naughty, even when I have to punish him, I still love him. When I think of all the wonder and joy he has brought into my life, it is not surprising that I thank the Lord for giving me this precious gift of fatherhood.
Sometimes I think that there is nothing I wouldn’t do for this little one, but then I stop and realize that, of course, there would be. For instance, I wouldn’t do anything that would threaten his well-being, or lead him along the wrong path. I look around at other fathers and see that they feel the same way. There’s a person I know who doesn’t talk very much. He keeps to himself but can communicate very well when necessary. If you talk to him about work or about the weather, you’ll likely get a short reply. Ask him about his children, though, and we have nice long chats about schoolwork, discipline, and other things. I get such a thrill when I make the time to be with my boy, whether it’s reading to him at bedtime or going for a bus ride to discover some place that we’ve never been to. And I can’t think of anything sweeter than when he says, “Hey Dad. I love you”, and then gives me a kiss on the cheek. I know these moments will become rare as he grows up and starts spending more time with his friends, and I treasure them deeply. Imagine, then, how much more of a thrill it is for the Lord when we spend time with Him. Here is a Father who truly dotes upon His children, who has so much to give to us if we’d just ask for it and believe in Him. Sadly, we seem too preoccupied to pay much attention to Him when He calls to us. He draws a rainbow across the sky to lift our spirits, but we’re too busy to notice. He calls out the sun after days of rain, but all we see are soggy bed sheets. Too often, we talk to God only when we need something. It seems to be less common for us to say, “Oh Father, look at this. I finally got that bonus! Thank you”, or to give Him thanks for providing our children with good teachers at school, or helping our families through difficult times. For many people, church is the only time that God even enters their minds. And when we say “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed by Thy name”, it’s just like my son saying “Hey Dad, I love you”. And just as that gives me a warm thrill, I believe God also feels very loved when we say “Our Father” and mean it. “Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” [Matthew 7:9-11] Published: June 18th, 2006 My Sunday Examiner Articles
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