I always reflect on my own dad around Father's Day & how he wasn't anything like your "Ward Cleaver" from Leave It To Beaver. And I wonder if he ever felt like he wasn't doing so well in this whole "father" role. He took me camping 2 or 3 times in my lifetime, taught me many of life's "basics", and loved to tease me, my sister, and especially my mom relentlessly. And he had that Leslie temper at times, too. When erupt in a cussin' fit, my sister & I would struggle to keep from belting out gales of hysterical laughter at his creative use of "Blue English".
He wasn't perfect. He was, however "Dad".
As a father myself now for almost 16 years, I would have loved to hear from my deceased father of his impression on my fathering skills. I'm pretty sure he would have approved & said as he did on many occasions, "I'm real proud of you, son.". Being a dad is no walk in the park. There is no instruction manual. And the rules are as different as there are fathers. I do observe other dads-in-action as well as their children. I ponder the rules of fatherhood that are applied to their families. And then I look at my children.
Proverbs 17:6 says,
Proverbs 23:24 says,Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly,
and the pride of sons is their fathers. [HCSB]
The father of a righteous son will rejoice greatly,It also states in Proverbs 10:1 and 15:20 that a wise son brings joy to his father. There are countless more references from the Bible about the joys & responsibilities of being a dad. So what was it that I've done--and am still doing--that formulated the two sons I have? Just as water can take any direction once its poured onto a surface, the outcome of my children could have taken any number of different courses.
and one who fathers a wise son will delight in him. [HCSB]
While being a dad is not walk in the park, it is--at the same time--the best responsibility I've ever had. Oh, and it is also the most confusing, frustrating, joyous, miserable, fun, unpredictable, thankless, & satisfying job to do. So how do you know if you've done it right?
I look at my 2 sons. I imagine what their Grandpa Leslie would think & say of them if he were still here to see how they've grown up. I think my dad would see that the values & lessons that he was taught by his Grandpa Leslie had trickled down into them. As teenagers now, both of my boys are entering their future fatherhood as young men. And they will soon be thinking of what it might be like to be a dad. They won't get a manual, either.
As a zealous college student, I had imagined that the kids I would have would not watch certain TV shows, play certain games, listen to certain music... blah-blah-blah. Okay so some of that did come to pass. But a lot of it sort of didn't. I'm pretty sure my college persona would be very judgmental of my middle-aged adult persona. What did result was 2 sons who both have Jesus as their Lord & Savior, who are not only held in esteem by their family & their church, but who also growing in wisdom & stature & in favor with God & man. And they enjoy YouTube, Pokemon, Magik cards, & video RPG games.
I am the father of 2 young men who understand what it means to be a God pleaser. They are not perfect any more than I am. They've made as many mistakes as children as I have as a dad. And they bring me unspeakable joy. If you were to ask me what I did as a father that helped foster children like these, I couldn't tell you. What I can say is I entrusted them to my Heavenly Father, who provided me with wisdom that I took with faith. I was also blessed with a helpmate, who is the counterpart to my weaknesses & whom I have been married to since 1997!
For 16 years, I've experienced fatherhood from the aspect of instructing. From this point forward, however, I will be getting used to experiencing fatherhood from the aspect of understanding.
I delight in the blessings that God has provided in spite of myself. I delight in being a dad who's sons have been pleasing in the sight of the Lord.
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