"When you were a child, I endeavored to form your heart." -Lord ChesterfieldOne winter night, as he peeked through a crack in the door of his young son's bedroom, a father saw his little boy get down on his knees on the cold, bare floor. "Dear Lord," the five-year-old whispered, raising his eyes toward heaven, "I hope You're listening, 'cause I have a wish. Please let me be a good and kind man like daddy."
Humbled by what he overheard, the father tiptoed away. That evening, before turning out the lights, he clasped his hands together and bowed his head. "Dear God," the man said in hushed tones, " I also have a request. Please help me to be the honorable father my son deserves."
Father: Take a minute, if you will, and meditate on the word. Let it filter through you mind and sink into your consciousness. If the experience unleashes a flood of images, don't be surprised. Going back to the time that Adam raised Cain and Abel, Fatherhood has been complicated. Getting a handle on it can be tricky.
For many of us, the word father transports us back to childhood, when we were small and incapable of fending ourselves. Strong and powerful, father was a person at the center of our world who gave us life and helped preserve it. If we wanted food, daddy put it on the table. If we needed new clothes, his labor filled our closet. Like a periscope guiding our ship of dreams, he taught us how to teach us how to reach for the stars so that, someday, we might become one.
As we grew up and ventured into our world, dad's role expanded. Besides providing food and fancy, he showed us how to ride a bike, tie a knot, bait a hook, and pitch a tent. Teacher and mentor, coach and counselor, he was the rabid fan at every game who cheered us on until his voice gave out. When the curtain went down on the school play, nobody clapped louder. A master sacrifice, he gave all he had and never ran dry, silently aetting aside his own hopes and dreams for the good of the family, time
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A Father is a Gift | Reflections on Love, Strength, and Wisdom
SpiritualA Book that says "I Love You" None of this book's words are mine. Credits to Warner Books, an AOL Time Warner Company.