Father's Day

Father Day this year has brought on a little more significance for me and my family. Why? Because my father Don, at age 90, was placed into hospice care at the end of January.  His doctors said that his body was just worn out, and as a result hospice was called in to help. So, the last several months have been a regular series of trips to Davis, CA. with Sue, and the kids to spend some precious moments with dad and grandpa. Those visits have been tender gifts from our merciful and gracious heavenly Father.

So much goes through your mind and washes over your soul as you prepare to say goodbye. You cling to and store up, in the deep recesses of your heart, every word, every memory, every smile and every tender gaze.

My father and my grandfathers helped set the foundation stones of my life and character. I see my life as an extension of theirs. It is something much more complex than biological DNA. It is the intentional passing on of the secrets of life itself, the DNA of the soul if you will.  It is at the core of God’s purpose for families, to purposefully pass on the blessing.

My father taught me the priorities of faith, hope and love, as his father had also taught him. I learned to strive to be a humble servant to my family, the church, my community, and those less fortunate than myself. My Dad exemplifies a life dedicated to the biblical concept, “To whom much is given, much will be required" (Luke 12:48). By example I was shown that it means we are held responsible by our Creator for what we have been given and blessed with. If we have been blessed with talents, wealth, knowledge, time, family, freedom, strength, and material stuff, then it is expected and proper that we should use those things to benefit others. My father will, as his father had, leave of legacy of service to God and his fellow man. I desire to be that kind of man myself because they were and because I want to pass on that same legacy onto my children. To do that, to be that man, it must be intentional.
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Praise the Lord the last time I saw my dad he was doing much better. He may even move out of the need for hospice care and have additional years of life to live. Fantastic! But, in all of this I have been reminded that one day he will pass from this life and into the presence of Christ. Time is precious. These past months have been as gift but also a bit of a wake-up call. These are the days to tell people you love them. These are the days to care for those around you.  These are the days to be the kind of man or woman that you were created to be. These are the days to re-evaluate what blessing and good you want to pass on to those around you. These are the days to be strong and courageous and to determine to be part of the solution.

What are you passing on?  What legacy will your life leave?

Start now, by God’s help and grace, to be the kind of father, husband, son, friend, and follower of Jesus Christ that you were created and redeemed to be. Pass it on.

-Pastor Garry Zeek
 
Here are some cool quotes regarding Father’s Day that you may want to pass on to someone:

• One night a father overheard his son pray: Dear God, make me the kind of man my Daddy is.
  Later that night, the Father prayed, dear God, make me the kind of man my son wants me to be. -  Author Unknown

 

• By profession I am a soldier and take pride in that fact. But I am prouder--infinitely prouder--to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys. - Douglas MacArthur

 

• "Train up a child in the way he should go—but be sure you go that way yourself." Charles Spurgeon,

 

• "A man ought to live so that everybody knows he is a Christian…and most of all, his family ought to know." Dwight L. Moody,

 

• "My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it." Clarence Budington Kelland, U.S. Writer

 

• "I like to compare the job of a father to that of a long-distance runner. Fathering is a marathon—a long and often trying journey—and we must be disciplined if we hope to finish successfully." Ken R. Canfield, Ph.D., The National Center for Fathering

 

• "Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father!" Lydia M. Child, U.S. Author

 

• "As fathers, we have the power to impact generations of lives. Make sure your impact on the twenty-first century is a positive one." Rick Johnson,

 

• "We are given children to test us and make us more spiritual." George Will, U.S. Journalist

 

• "The Lord is like a father to his children, tender and compassionate to those who fear him." Psalm 103:13  (NLT)