My Dad Is …
What's important to children, most important of all, is time. It's that simple.
One day a certain father went to visit his son’s preschool. It was a day when dads could come to visit. But when he got there, he was shocked to discover that only a handful of fathers had actually come to be with their children. Later on that morning, all the children were sitting on the floor in a circle. The teacher asked the children to tell the group something about their fathers, something that was special.
One little boy said about his absent father, “Well, my daddy is a lawyer. He makes a lot of money and we live in a big house.”
Another child said about his absent father, “My father is very smart. He teaches at the college and a lot of important people know him.”
Finally it was time for this father’s son to say something special about his dad. The little boy looked up at his father, then he looked around the circle of his friends, and then he just smiled and proudly said, “My dad is … here!”
What’s important to children, most important of all, is time. It’s that simple. Fathers shouldn’t worry about not being there before if they can start being there today. Fathers shouldn’t worry about not being sure how to handle a toddler’s whining or a teenager’s rebellion if they can just be there.
Like our heavenly Father. Always there. “Abba, Father,” the Bible tells us to exclaim to him, using the Hebrew term that means, “Daddy.”
“Daddy, catch me!” “Daddy, I’m hungry!” “Daddy, watch this!”
“Daddy, forgive me.” “Daddy, hear my prayer.” “Daddy, take me home.”
And he’s there to hear, and to decide what is for our best, and to act. Like a good Father.
PRAYER: Thank you for my father, God. Thank you for giving him the courage to make sacrifices to be there for me. Forgive him for the times he wasn’t there. Help me forgive him. And help me be there for others. And for him, too. Thank you for being my heavenly Father. Thank you for always being there. Amen.