Our lives with our fathers are precious, but not everyone has the ideal relationship. Sometimes this is precipitated by an early death, divorce or a relationship strained because of work, substance abuse or even deliberate absence.
My own dad was always near, in the sense he never physically left. But there were limits to expressions of love or affection, given his background. Some people prefer not to be ‘touchy-feely’ and my family fell into that category. Even the voice of support and encouragement were rare to be heard.
I watched a TV movie some time back where the father was ‘around’ but not in his little girl’s life. She had a nanny who saw to her every need. Ultimately in the movie the father recognized he was doing the same thing to his little girl as his father had done to him: there—- in body only. There was very little actual relationship; which of course by the end, he corrected.
Real life isn’t always so ‘neat and tidy.’ Fathers are human only, and can’t change due to a written script—- or can they? I ask that, with a slight grin because that seems impossible, but when you add our Heavenly Father into the equation, we do have a written script.
We learn what we live. This is the ‘model’ we know. In some instances the son (or daughter) wants to be just like their father (or mother). When this perfect perception is shattered, very often so are the children. I’ve known several homes where the dad stopped being dad in the Christian sense. Their lifestyles are changed and they walk away from all that was familiar.
Sometimes the child can look past the drastic change and still have a relationship. Others cannot, sometimes in fear that they will follow in their father’s footsteps and that is terrifying!
God’s Word is filled with lots of advice for fathers and mothers within the pages. God doesn’t leave us without a ‘parent handbook,’ although many of us forget it, or simply don’t look for the answers in scripture because there is so much other, ‘newer’ experts in our world. There seems to be a book written by an expert on almost any question!
But are the new experts any wiser than Christ? We, as Believers are Christ’s children; adopted out of love when we accept him as Lord and Savior. He provided the Perfect Lamb, HIS Son, to be a living sacrifice so that as sinners, we can claim him as our Heavenly Father. This Father is far greater than any on Earth, because he will always, always be with us!
Our Earthly fathers eventually succumb to a mortal death. It is the way of human life. But God the Father, God the Son and the Holy Spirit will never leave us; never die! And regardless of what we face, God always understands, offers a unique sense of calmness and love that surpasses any we could dream of or hope for from any other human being.
I encourage you to spend time with your Earthly father, because they will eventually pass away. But, even more than this, spend time with your Heavenly Father. It is in this place where you will find peace, joy, and acceptance like no other other human can ever offer.
Photo Credit: https://www.istockphoto.com/en/search/2/image?mediatype=&phrase=father%20and%20son&servicecontext=srp-related
No comments:
Post a Comment