The role is a noble one; celebrated but not without challenges.
“It is easier for a father to have children than for children to have a real father.”
Here, Pope John XXIII expresses the tension between fatherhood as an ideal, and the reality that, despite good intentions, even the best dads make mistakes.
I sometimes hear people reflect on having had an ‘absent father’.
Most of us share this experience to some degree during our lifetime.
While a physical absence might be the result of family breakdown or death, your story might involve an emotional absence, which can have a similarly profound effect.
At times, fatherly influence might also be lacking due to illness or because of a priority placed upon other commitments, like work.
Even the best fathers are still mere humans who sometimes miss important events and are unable to be with their children throughout every crisis.
But not your Heavenly Father.
God is never guilty of being an absent Father.
You may have been absent from Him for years but, like the estranged son in the well-known Bible parable, your Heavenly Father waits and watches for your return.
According to the parable, as soon as he spied his son approaching, the father ran to meet him. In the same way, God eagerly anticipates welcoming you home.
God never leaves you to face the storms of life alone.
He sees and celebrates your achievements. He watches over your life and guides your steps. His love is constant and consistent. You can place your full confidence in Him.
Because God has fatherhood nailed, He can help you become a better father yourself, if you ask Him.
He can also heal wounds you may carry, as the child of an imperfect father.
Your Heavenly Father is a good Father, and you are loved by Him.
~ Contributed by Pastor Lynette Kay of Ignite Life Church, on behalf of the Combined Churches of Deniliquin.
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