I have a confession to make.
I watch people I don’t know. I watch them a lot.
Dads especially catch my eye when they’re with their kids.
I watch them when they’re playing, working, laughing, and even when they’re frustrated.
I watch them and I wonder, “What must that be like?”
It used to make me angry (Ok sometimes it still does) when I read that “Children are a gift from the Lord. They are a reward from Him.” (Psalm 127:3 NLT) I mean, if those who have kids are truly experiencing an actual reward from the Lord, then I naturally assume that I must be a loser of the highest (or lowest) magnitude.
I’ve absolutely hated Father’s Day because people walk up to me, smile, and practically shout, “Happy Father’s Day!” before they grimace and say “Oh, I’m sorry. I forgot that you’re not a father.”
One Father’s Day, I was on vacation visiting a church when I was singled out from the pulpit in front of the congregation: “You all know John doesn’t have what it takes to make a baby but let’s pretend that he is by giving him a cheap gift.” Ok, so maybe that wasn’t exactly what they said, but it’s how I felt at the time.
One year, the daughter of a friend approached me on Father’s Day and innocently said, “My daddy is David. Mr. Bob is Ashleigh’s daddy. Whose daddy are you?”
That floored me.
I didn’t know what to say so I slapped her. (Not really)
“They (Children) are a reward from Him.”
I didn’t get a reward. I didn’t place. I wasn’t even allowed to race. I’m not sure what the problem is but I must be doing something wrong.
However, I refuse to allow myself to believe that anymore.
When I look at my life, I’ve been blessed more than anyone I know. I have a cute wife, a nice home, and a life where I make a difference in the lives of thousands of people, if not more.
And yet, I still watch dads and I wonder, “What must that be like?”
And after all this time, I think I know.
It’s a blessing. With all of the frustrations, from my viewpoint, fatherhood is a reward.
So, I just wanted to say “Congratulations dads!
You have received an amazing gift, a reward from our Heavenly Father.”
And to those of you who are willing to embrace your reward, I honor you this weekend.
You are truly blessed beyond my comprehension! So do your best and make us proud!
Be men of God willing to raise a generation to love and serve the Lord wholeheartedly!
I promise to pray for you and try to relate as best I can. Let me know if I can help, seriously. And when we are old and gray(er) and all the children are gone, give me a call, send me a text, or do whatever people are doing then, and we’ll go to lunch or coffee, my treat.
I’ll tell you how God has blessed me and then…
I’ll sit quietly and listen and you can tell me stories of what it was like.
Happy Father’s Day
*Image courtesy of Shane Rounce
JohnJFrady.com 