Reflections: Hey kids, listen to this

Kudos to Proverbs 31 Ministries for timing the First5 study of the book of Hosea to wrap up shortly before Father’s Day, just one of several things that have recently reminded me about the importance of godly fathers. As regular readers know, I was blessed with a father who set a good example. I didn’t always appreciate his efforts in my younger years, but I sure do now.

Hosea’s prophecy repeatedly reminds Israel that God allows consequences for bad behavior; but those consequences are done out of love, and throughout the book, God promises that if Israel returns to serving Him faithfully, they will be welcomed. Through Hosea, God also reminds Israel that the blessings they have enjoyed are not due to any pagan deity, but are from God. 

My dad demonstrated that concept more than once. I walked to school for several years, but when I got my driver’s license and got more involved in school activities, he bought a car for me to drive to school and my part-time job. One evening at my sister’s house, though, I crashed the front of the car into a tree stump I had forgotten about. The damage was minor, but guess what—I had to pay Dad back for the insurance deductible, leaving me zero money to spend on clothes and entertainment for several weeks. He said that would teach me to be more careful, and it did. Later on, when my husband and I made some poor financial decisions, Dad watched quietly as we suffered consequences. However, once we demonstrated some serious changes in our approach to finances, he surprised us with a very generous gift to jump-start the turnaround. 

It took me years to figure out that my dad showed love by working hard to make sure our family’s needs were met. Like many World War II veterans, Dad didn’t talk much about his experiences, or open up much about anything. When my son played the lead in a high school production of Studs Terkel’s musical, “Working,” I cried through the whole scene where the lead character finally understands his dad’s work ethic. Dad had marked in his Bible the admonition in Colossians 3:23 to do your work as unto the Lord. 

The Proverbs have multiple references to gaining wisdom by heeding a father’s advice. What my dad didn’t always express in conversation, he communicated by sharing things he felt would help my spiritual life. Long before streaming of church services, Dad bought cassette tapes of sermons and music he found impactful and gave them to my husband and me. He regularly passed Christian teaching books he had enjoyed on to us, with a brief, “This is worthwhile. Read it.” I do the same thing—just today, I sent my son the link to yet another article: “Hey, this really spoke to me; listen to it during your morning drive time.”  

My dad wasn’t perfect, but the older I get, the more I appreciate his positive influence. If you were blessed to have a godly father, take time to reflect on that blessing as Father’s Day approaches. If your earthly father was not a good example or is not involved in your life, Father’s Day can be painful, but please know that God hasn’t changed; you have a Heavenly Father who loves you and wants the best for you.