It’s Father’s Day.A day of ties. A day that golf course owners likely count on.
A day in which we allow our hard-working Patriarchs to kick back and relax.
My dad may not golf (or wear ties? He works from home?). However, if anyone is deserving of praise, celebration, and rest, it’s Steven Dear.
My dad gives, gives, gives, and then gives some more. He deals with flat tires, bills, and my 12984795973549 phone calls about what a W-9 form is and if I’m still classified as a dependent. He answers my questions on technology, he lets me know which kind of iPhone to get (less storage, but a better device is best). He secretly finds out what Mom wants for her birthday and then lets us all know. We usually try to double-check that though, because brands get lost in translation. He has even entrusted his newish Camry to me for the summer to ensure my safety in Nashville, while he has to drive my ~cosmetically decaying~ Honda.
He’s often at the church by the wee hours of Sunday morning to use his technological talents to help with the video and audio. And most importantly, he introduced me to John Mayer and Harry Potter.
Steven Dear serves his family day in and day out. He gets the short end of the stick often, but he never complains. He loves others and he loves His Savior. It couldn’t be more evident.
But maybe your father is no longer with us. Maybe your relationship with him isn’t the best.Maybe this day just isn’t the easiest.
Maybe today is one of those days when there is a pit in your stomach and a yearning to know why your father is no longer around.
While there aren’t enough words to fill that father’s love-sized hole in your heart, I’m learning that:
What if..
What if we started looking at our God like a father?
What if we actually started calling on Him as much as we call on our dads (or would if we had the chance)?
Like any earthly father, your Heavenly Father is never out of reach. His mercies are new every morning. His bank account never declines. His reign never ends. He isn’t even limited by the data limit imposed by cellular family plans. He’s everywhere. He went behind you, He’s standing next to you, and He’s going before you.
Yet, we don’t utilize this. We see him as this busy man with a full calendar. We think that he doesn’t care about our flat tires or our W-9 forms (I’m concerned that there are at least 8 other W-# forms that I haven’t even encountered).
But we’re wrong.
He’s the God of details. He’s the Author of communication. He is the beginning, the end, and everywhere in between. UTILIZE THIS. Reach out to Him. Call upon Him by day, by night, by lunch break. Journal your prayers. Say them in your head. Say them out loud if you are about all that. But remember that GOD IS YOUR FATHER. He is not just a figure or a symbol or an image or a character.
“Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” — Matthew 7:9-11
He knows what you need. He is eager to give and teach and bless and challenge. You are His child. Whether you are celebrating your father today or hurting from loss, know that no earthly father can even begin to compare to your Heavenly Father. Cling to Him, whether it’s Father’s Day or Arbor Day. You are His, but He is also yours.