“I expect to pass through life but once. If, therefore, there be any kindness I can show, or any good thing I can do to any fellow being, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.” — William Penn
I am lucky to have many great men around me I call fathers, and these individuals are some of the sweetest men I know.
As a child, my biological father was one of my biggest fan before I could understand and appreciate the meaning of friendship. We’ve had our tough moments followed by a period of deep sadness and profound sorrow. While the Earth stopped moving around us and the Lord revealed His plans for us; we experienced the love of God that strengthens and renews. That was our moment of awakening.
For the first eighteen (18) years of my life, I learned tremendously from my biological father, who was not the easiest person to live with. Some people judged him by what they saw him to be and others by what they knew him to be. Yes, my biological father was a disciplinarian; however, those he taught knew they would be going to bigger, better things in their life. Those who knew him or got to know him well regarded him with respect.
“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” — Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (NKJV)
Good fathers are a blessing. They are necessary and invaluable to their daughters’ development. They teach us:
» To obey the Scripture
» To love ourselves just the way we are (self-worth)
» To respect our Mothers/Elders
» Family values
» Self-defense
» The difference between right and wrong
» Honesty, Integrity, Gratitude, Loyalty, Hard work
» Forgiveness, Accountability, Patience, Persistence
» The male side of things (to seek out healthy relationships)
» They encourage us to be the best we can be … etc.
I suppose one could safely say that I am my father’s daughter, even though him and I are similar opposites. I have learned so much about the gift of giving, loving and forgiving just by watching him. We give of ourselves totally and of our time freely to those in need. We continue giving, even to the ungrateful.
To those who have lost their earthly fathers and those who are estranged to their fathers for one reason or another, the scripture points out that God is “a father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.” — Psalm 68:5-6 (NIV). The Heavenly Father loves and watches over you.
Happy Father’s day Dads! Thank you for always providing for us.
May our Almighty Lord bless and keep you safe always.
I Love You.
By JM Perez
