The following responsive reading was printed in my church’s bulletin yesterday*:
One Voice: On this Father’s Day, we cherish the love of our fathers.
Many Voices: We thank you, God, for fathers who comfort and encourage.
One Voice: We thank you, God, for fathers who build character and inspire us to greatness.
Many Voices: We thank you, God, for fathers who teach morality and model decency.
One Voice: We thank you, God, for fathers who lovingly convince boys to become men.
Many Voices: We thank you, God, for brave fathers who have the courage to be fathers even when the going gets rough.
One Voice: We thank you, God, for fathers who are no longer with us but will always be in our hearts.
Many Voices: Most of all we thank you, God, for being our heavenly Father, for loving us so perfectly, and for setting the high standard of love, justice, and compassion that we aspire to.
One Voice: Lord, on this Father’s Day, we ask your blessing on all fathers.
All: May we be a church that encourages, challenges, and supports all fathers with your love.
Father’s Day is awkward for those of us whose fathers are not part of our lives, but yesterday in church, Pastor Suzanne indirectly reminded me that my Heavenly Father provided well for me through the years with surrogate fathers who met this high standard of love and compassion. Today, I am especially grateful for them. Here they are, listed in the order I met them.
My grandfather D.L. Willis
My uncle Darius Hinnant
Family friend Jim Thompson
English teacher John Lentz
My father-in-law Roger Raihala
I am also grateful for the father of my children, George, who makes sure our sons feel comforted, encouraged, built up, inspired, safe, and—most of all—loved.
What are you grateful for today?
*Source unknown. If you know it, please let me know so I can give proper credit.
I love your comments on Father's Day. We have been avoiding church on Fa Day and Mother's Day as we were never able to have children and it is sometimes painfull- now with both our earthly fathers in heaven- it is good to remember all they meant to us. Though mine could be short tempered - he left behind a legacy of creativeness- he was a prolific writer, builder of boats, athletic, loved my mother fiercly- his first wife died in her 20's - was able to apologize, was musical, great sense of humor - read to us every night after dinner even as adults- great story teller- wow- to wrtie about him makes me miss him even more. He wrote me letters when I was away at school, away in Oklahoma in the 70's with a Vietnam vet hubbie- and homesick as all get out for my be-loved Oregon and parents and brother- he made simple furniture- a sewing cabinet for me which I cannot part with though I should- gave me a '66 volks wagon beetle which I NEVER should of traded in- long story-- and he passed away before I was 40- he was 80. On the night of his death- my husband's birthday and Memorial Day that year 1986, my precious father-in law said to me- " I guess I'm your father now." We had precious Pappa John for 15 more years.
ReplyDeleteMy thanks to the LORD for my earthly biological father and the other fathers in my life.
Trish Kindberg
Oh, Trish, what a beautiful tribute to your fathers! Thanks so much for sharing it.
ReplyDelete