More Than a Name

As I sat here at the computer this morning thinking about the great times we had with our children and grandchildren over the years, I paused to thank God for the blessings of our family.  We know that fathers do not come with special instructions on how to operate so there are times that we too make mistakes; therefore, it becomes easy to look back and think, “I wish I had…….”  I constantly remind myself that "Yesterday is gone; tomorrow is built on uncertainty and hope; but today is the greatest opportunity to make the best out of life."  Looking back one man stated, “My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, "You're tearing up the grass." "We're not raising grass," Dad would reply. "We're raising boys."1  We often prioritize what we think is important and sacrifice the things that mean the most to our children.

When our children were small, we had a night of the week set aside for family night.  That was the night when the children made the rules of what to eat, what to do and even how long to do it.  Most often, it was just “fight night with Dad.”  That was one of the most important nights of the week and remembered more than the trips to Florida or the vacations in Washington.  It was the night that Dad reverted to second childhood and once again learned the life-lesson of what it is like to lose a battle.  It was the night that the house organization became secondary and the amount of noise was not an issue.  I think of some words in a song, “Those were the best days of my life.” 

One has written, “Any man can be a father, but it takes a special person to be a dad.”2  What is a real “FATHER?”

F- Faithful person
A – Attentive and always there
T – Teacher and trustworthy
H – Hero who deserves honor
E – Encourager and ever-loving
R – Recreationalist and emphasizes Right-living

       A father is more than a friend to his children; he is God’s personal representative to show all the attributes of God’s love.  Thank God, for fathers who take on the awesome responsibility to pattern their lives after our heavenly Father and realize that future generations are being shaped as they perform the office of The FATHER! 

Ps 112:1-2 “Praise the LORD! Happy are those who fear the LORD. Yes, happy are those who delight in doing what he commands.  Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.”3  NLT

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1 Harmon Killebrew

2 Author Unknown

3 Ps112:1-2  NLT