CHAPLAIN’S DESK :: FATHER’S DAY MESSAGE

Greetings beloved,

Happy Father’s Day to all fathers and all who have fathered!

Big ups or Big oops !?

Like many or most of the Class of 1979, I consider myself a child of the 1970’s. We had a special way of expressing ourselves in the way that we dressed and spoke for example. Do you remember the usage of the word “up”? Up was used to amplify an adjective. Sometimes it was the equivalent of the adverb very. If you were very strong for example you were “strong up or cave up”. I had a cousin in St. Thomas who was called “Tall-up”. Then, on a different note, we had the slogan “Stay Up” which, I believe, had to do with being high on drugs.

I intend to offer some “ups” to our Fathers for a day when we are supposed to get our big –ups. If we take these words to heart, perhaps we will begin or continue to receive some big ups on father’s day.

There is a need for fathers to:

I. Wake up!

The call to fatherhood is a high one. It is demanding and will surely stretch us. Those who have been there can say amen. Recently I was speaking to an Arab neighbor who told me of a man in his home country who used a big school bus to transport his many children. He commented that he only had three children and that they were more than enough.

We need to wake up to the fact that although fatherhood has taken a turn for the worse we can do something about it. Some men have bought the lie that the women can do all the parenting as long as we supply food, clothing and shelter. Not so! We need to engage our children. We need to untangle ourselves from our self-imposed busyness and spend time with our children. The story is told of a boy who went fishing with his busy father. At the end of the day the father wrote in his journal about how he had wasted the day. The son’s journal was read years later when he was famous. His impression of the day was that it was the best day of his life (internet: Sermon Illustrations).

Let us wake up to the fact that our children need fathers more than they need things
(Eph. 6:4 b). There are destructive fires that threaten our families.  Let us awaken in time to rescue our families from the inhalation of toxic fumes and the ravaging flames of this anti-family, anti-marriage, anti-fatherhood age.

II. Look up!

We went to live in Estate Glynn when I was in the fifth grade. It meant waking up early and catching the bus. Our father had the task of waking us up. He played that role with the fervor of a drill sergeant. The truth was that we needed someone we could depend on and look up to; someone who was, bigger, older, wiser and with the authority to get us up and moving. Waking fathers up to our realities and responsibilities requires someone like that. It demands a caring, loving, omnipotent God.

We need to look up. God is our Rock, our Strong Tower, our Deliverer and our All in All. The requirements of fatherhood demand strength from above. Look up, fathers. There is hope and strength from above. We need to be hooked up to divine power. We cannot afford to run on fumes. We need to run on fuel. Paul declared. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil. 4:13. So we need to take time to look up and get hooked up. Strength beyond our strength, wisdom beyond our wisdom and power beyond our power is what we need. So look up!

III. Keep up!

Walking around the track at Martin Marietta was an everyday habit of mine for a while. The former principal of St. Mary’s Catholic School was a regular. I prided myself on the pace that I was able to maintain. He was the only person who effortlessly outstrided me. I tried to compete with him to no avail. I ended up injuring myself. He was about 6’ 5” and all legs!

God is not requiring us to compete with each other (2 Cor. 10:12). He is requiring us to stay in tune and in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25). Those who are led by the Spirit are the children of God (Romans 8:14). Keeping up involves not only staying in step with the Spirit of God but persevering as in “Keep it up!”

Perhaps you started strong and lost your way. Maybe you are disconnected from your children because of strains and stresses. Maybe fatherhood for you has been a long series of “oops”. Whatever the reason/s, do not look back and do not give in or give up. Our children need us at every age and every stage of this mortal life. Try again. Hit the reset button by the grace of God and go for it. Keep on building bridges, not walls and the breakthrough will come by God’s good grace. If you have a good relationship with all or most of your children, cherish and nurture it. It is a precious jewel Keep it up!

He who started a good work in you will bring it to completion (Phil. 1:6). Forget the oops and embrace the ups.

Blessings,

Your Servant Walton aka “Freddy”