Fathers Day 2016

Father’s Day 2016

Message:

Today is a special day for Fathers and I am so glad, that there are so many here of so many different ages.

We have Sainted Grandfathers and retired Fathers too, all wise and learned sages.

We have middle aged Fathers here whose minds without hesitation, are deep in thought about the bills for their children’s educations.

We have Fathers of middle school and high school kids who keep their Father’s thin, by running them to games and friends.

How do they fit it in?

We also have the Fathers who are so very new, with little ones who still can’t talk or even tie their shoes.

These Dad’s think it easy now but wait your turn is coming.

Your precious little bundle will soon have you a mumbling.

Each Father of each generation has tests and trials to face.

Your children are the test of love before you leave this place.

Impart to them your very best and when they’ve grown and gone.

They’ll turn and smile and say to you Dad you got so much wrong.

But what was right is precious still and that I hold so dear.

Thanks Dad for all you’ve sacrificed to help me get to here.

Poem by Mark Aarssen 2016

Today dear Saints we pause to recognize and honor the men who have been Father’s to us. Not all of those men were our biological father’s. Some were teachers, or neighbours or coaches or the father of a friend who took the time to mentor us and helped us grow a little.

Being Dad is difficult and it’s never ever been easy. You have to work and be away when you most want to be with your children. You try to be an example and a guide while also trying to love with discipline and sometimes you’re not forgiven.

A child is so unaware of the many dangers life can present. All they know is that their favorite cereal is in the cupboard and that Daddy works to pay the rent.

Time is the word that spells out love to a child. But time is so hard to come by with the responsibilities that Father’s sometimes face.

For that reason Father’s I urge you to slow down. Take a breath and take a step back to realize that the time you have with your child is precious.

Each Father has great opportunities to leave lasting, permanent, and positive imprints upon their child’s life.

The way to make sure that the good outweighs the bad is to be a Father who exercises – Faith.

Hebrews 11:1 King James Version (KJV)

11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

I want to ask you Fathers what are the things that you hope for your child today?

Is it to have better opportunities than what you had?

Is it to make better decisions than the ones you’ve made?

Is it to fearlessly meet life head on knowing that they possess the stuff that will see them through every adversity and trial?

The one thing of substance that you Fathers can give to your children is your faith in Jesus Christ.

Your children need to see you as a man of God and know that your strength lies in your faith and that they too can have that same strength.

They need to see your tenderness and mercy and understand that you learned that from Jesus.

They need to see you exercise forgiveness and compassion at home as you extend those things to your wife and to your children.

They need to see that you are long suffering and gentle and that you will not crush their spirit in order to hold yours over theirs.

Children need to see their Father as a man of devotion first to God and then to his wife and family.

When we exercise these things Fathers they become the substance of our faith.

These virtues become the things our children hope to see in us and that they hope to take hold of for themselves.

Today those things may not be evidenced in your children they may not be the things that are plainly seen in their character and life.

But the thing is that they can be hoped for as long as you as a Father live out a life of faith for your children to see.

When you as a Father make those virtues real they become the evidence that your children have long sought after to build their faith upon.

As long as your breathing there is still time.

Time enough for you Dad, to turn to Jesus and acknowledge that He is the rock of your salvation and the substance of your faith.

That Jesus evidenced all those virtues while He lived and He died to impart those virtues into whomever will trust Him as their Savior.