Yesterday was Father’s Day!
I wished my father the best not only for the holiday but all throughout his life. My father, just like all other fathers in the world, are not perfect parents … but he is a gift from God. His child-rearing style is abstract and complicated. Many times he is abhorred and misunderstood, because he is not an expert of expressing himself exactly how he thinks and feels.
He oftentimes feels one thing and expresses another thing. That makes him very confusing. Many times in my younger years, I took him for granted. Many times I acted like he did not exist.
When I grew up to be a Christian, through the efforts of my mother, I found out that it is natural to have fathers who are not perfect, because they are gifts from God. However, we have a Father in heaven – the Father of all. Then I started not to worry because my real Father anyway is a perfect One … and for that I cannot ask for more.
Our heavenly Father tells us to respect and honor our earthly fathers. So I did try my best. Loving someone who is lovable is an easy thing. But loving an unlovable being is not at all easy. Later on, I realize that my earthly father’s imperfections are not a big issue. He has good points in him, too, which my siblings and I should not have taken for granted.
Compared to other fathers, I found out that he is better, especially attitude-wise and his ways of administering things so they would be fine for the family. One of the greatest gifts from God is my father’s presence in our household. It provides psychological protection and strength in the family. Studies revealed that for a child to grow normally, his emotional needs should be met and it can only be satisfied with the presence of both his father and mother. The absence of one parent can create several deficiencies in a child’s emotional and psychological growth.
A father, as the masculine figure influences his child’s emotional foundation. Children who are observed to be closer to their fathers are more versatile, independent and can easily adapt to wherever environment they are exposed to. They are braver and take risks more often than those who do not directly experience the love and comfort of their fathers. This explains why the loss of a father through death, separation or divorce can have an adverse effect on their kids.
Being not so expressive, my father reminds me that though parents like him and my mother are imperfect, at least they are here. His mother, who was known to be highly intelligent and talented, left them for heaven so soon. He would have bartered her special gifts for something less, just to have her with him for a longer time. My father is now 71 years old…and thank God, is still with us.
As we grow up into adults ourselves, we understand that there are no perfect parents, nor perfect children. Everyone is not perfect. There is only a perfect Parent Who is watching how we behave on Earth and directs everything that are happening here. A Father in heaven Who Himself tells us to honor our parents, and He will reward us with a life longer than the others if we would. (Exodus 20:12).
They may appear imperfect, but they are living gifts that the Living God gave us as our doting parents.
Happy Father’s Day Papa Ben!
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