Give it to Daddy
Well, as we all know Father’s Day is on the horizon! It’s a day when you get to shower Daddy with gifts and tell him how much you love him. So, I thought I’d give you the top 10 Father’s Day gifts according to The Independent Newspaper just to give you some ideas for the big day ahead…
We’ll do a countdown…
At 10. Headphones
9. A Carafe to hold wine/cognac, etc.
8. Wine/cognac (to put in the Carafe)
7. A Wallet
6. A book
5. Men’s Toiletries
4. Aftershave
3. Personalised Phone Case
2. A lot in a box (basically an allotment in a box!)
And yes you guessed it… at number one we have… SOCKS!!!
Could it have been anything different really??
Whatever we choose to give our earthly Fathers, it is right that we honour them for all they’ve done and the part they’ve played in our lives. We know that in the Bible it says this,
“Honour your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.”
Exodus 20:12
There’s a promise, ‘that you may live long in the land’. Isn’t it interesting that God puts a connection between honouring our earthly parents and living a life in the place He has for you? That in some way, the way we treat them has an impact on us for the long term?
We all know that saying ‘You can choose your friends but you cannot chose your family.’ We can walk away from a friendship (and some ‘friendships’ in truth are right to walk away from) but we seem to find it much more difficult to do that with our families. Even if we know we have been treated unfairly and perhaps sometimes even abusively by those that are supposed to take care of us there is still a strong connection to those we are connected to by blood. When a family relationship is strained or painful it can have a greater impact on us because of all the relationships we have, perhaps we have a stronger desire that those family relationships be right and I guess, harmonious. Now, of course, we all have spats and fights. I remember on numerous occasions falling out with Matt, my brother and at times haven’t seen eye to eye with my Mum and Dad but despite any difference of opinion, I love them and want to honour them fully by giving them the respect and honour they deserve.
So, you can buy your Dad all the socks you like but if you call yourself a Christian and are aiming to follow Jesus with all your heart, God is looking at how you honour and respect your earthly Dad (and Mum) too.
What if?
But, what if your Dad was a nightmare and actually taught you more about how to do it all wrong than right? What if your relationship either was or is so difficult that it is painful to see him or spend time with him?
Bring it to Daddy. Bring that raw honesty into your relationship with your Heavenly Father. Tell Him about it all. Who knows what might happen?
God might help you to think of something your earthly Father has done that you are actually grateful for and He might help you to focus on that, rather than the negative.
He might help you forgive and start to work through the things you’ve experienced at the hands of someone who, in honesty, perhaps didn’t know love himself.
He might help to mend the relationship to a point where it is beyond recognition and give you the keys to bring that about.
But, I’m not going to tell you what God is going to do, bring what your experience to Daddy and let Him direct the way ahead.
So as I finish off, I will be making sure that this Father’s day is special. I want to honour the man who has poured his love and attention on me throughout my life. The man who has prayed for me and stood with me when life has been good and bad, the man who has made sacrifices for me and gave even when I didn’t deserve it. He also always points me to Jesus, and helps me to keep my eyes focused on my Heavenly Father.
So today, Dad, thank you for all you are and all you’ve done. I honour you today for all you’ve done.
And, of course, thank you Heavenly Father for sending Jesus to die for me on the cross, taking all my sin and shame so that I could know you and be a part of your family.