Happy Father's Day

This morning Jeorge did a short little skit at church. A few people commented about "how nice it was too see Jeorge again." One thing that was disappointing about the morning was that, on Father's Day, dad wasn't there. If he'd been there, I was going to have Jeorge say to him "Happy Father's Day...you're the best dad a dodo ever had."

Pastor Kevin asked if anyone had anything they wanted to share about their fathers, and several people shared something. I had something I was going to say, but didn't get to, so I thought I'd post it here.

There is a quote I stumbled across recently (and yes, it will probably someday end up as the Quote Of The Day.

The greatest gift a father can give to his children is to love their mother.

I think that's a very interesting statement; the Bible tells us that one of the jobs of a husband is to love his wife in the same way that Christ loved the church. Imagine what a healthy, and harmonious atmosphere that would be for children to grow up in if husbands truly loved their wives with a love that deep, that faithful, that self-sacrificing.

A husband who loves his wife this way is not just providing a healthy environment for his children to grow up in, he is instilling in them an understanding of men and women, and how they ought to relate. And perhaps even more importantly, he is giving to them a powerful object lesson that will help them understand the love of God for them.

As I think about that, I think about conversations I've had with people over the years, in which I've made the mistake of saying that, growing up, I never heard my parents speak to one another in anger with raised voices. It was a mistake to say that, because nobody ever believes me. They think I'm making it up, and when I convince them I'm not, then they say "Well, your mother must have been a door mat, then."

Huh?

I've thought about that reaction a lot. Why does "no raised voices" translate to "mother is a door mat"?

Because in their experience, husbands are domineering, self absorbed, stubborn, uncompassionate, and unloving. And therefore, any woman who could live with him without anger and raised voice must be letting him trample all over her.

I think that's an interesting, and sad, commentary on the state of fatherhood in our society.

And I'm so glad I grew up in such an abnormal home.

Happy Father's Day, dad!

Posted On Jun 18, 2006 at 6:24 PM

On Jun 19, 2006 Mr. T wrote: Quote:

And I'm so glad I grew up in such an abnormal home.

Me Too!

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