Saturday night I came home after church. I looked out our back window across the beginnings of a bean field. Out in that field a saw two deer, one larger than the other. The setting sun acting as a beautiful spotlight, I got out my binoculars to get a better view. They were both bucks! The larger wasn’t that large or muscular yet, but was developing a sizable rack. The smaller was apparently in his early stage, spots gone but buttons on his head developing.
It was a beautiful illustration of Father’s Day: a father and son stag together The father was mentoring his son, showing him the way in life. What father doesn’t want his son to be successful. Yet, sometimes we forget how to be that kind of life coach our kids really need. Even when they push us away, they still need our unconditional acceptance and guidance.
What can you add to the lesson?
Tags: coach, example, Father's Day, mentor
In Hemispheres magazine, family counselor John Rosamond wrote that a father plays a unique and crucial role in the lives of his children. It’s not enough just to be present. Dad must be “actively involved” and “a vigorously interested participant in the child-rearing process.”
Rosemond offers six ways to become more involved with your child:
1. Find an activity you and your child can do together and make time for it regularly.
2. Help (but don’t force) your child to develop hobbies and interests.
3. As your child grows through the teen years, become less a disciplinarian and more a mentor.
4. Talk to your child and keep communicating by being a good listener.
5. Love your child’s mother with all your heart, and let your kids see it.
6. Remember, a child is never too old to be told, “I love you.”
Fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).
How’re you doin’?
Tags: Father's Day
The year was 1952 and I had not yet started Kindergarten. My parents had driven to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a vacation in our new 1951 Ford. Dad had driven down a remote highway along the coast of Lake Superior. We stopped the car and hiked through the dense forest to the edge of the Lake, a walk of about a mile. What a view and what an experience.
To this day, I still remember the cool breeze, amazing sights, and smell of evergreens. My mind still pictures the abandoned cabin we passed on that hike. For a young boy, that was a great adventure that was a defining moment in my life. And I’m thankful for my father providing that out-of-the-ordinary opportunity for me.
Perhaps you can reflect back to some memory your father provided in the early days of your life. And perhaps it would be a good time to express thanks to your earthly father for the investment he made in your young life. One of the foundational requirements of scripture is that we “honor our mother and father, that our days would be long on the earth”. The promise works for us, whether they deserve to be honored or not.
What is your memory?
Tags: Father's Day, gratefulness, honor, provision