One hand raised for Dad

Recently I was conducting a choir rehearsal with fourteen members in the church hall. I asked persons to show by the raising of the hand if they grew up with their father and whether he had played a role in their development even if he was not physically present. I was dumb founded at the responses. Much to my surprise I was the only person in the room with my hand in the air.

In that moment of reflection, persons used the opportunity to share their various heartbreaking and disappointing experiences. There are people all over the world who never experienced the love of a father and some are still paying the price today.

There are those, who like me, had a father present but still not fully appreciative. Sometimes we become very ungrateful to our fathers because we somehow believe they never played the role we wanted them to play. They love the best way they knew how and gave what they could. They got some things wrong but they got many right too.

Christian Evangelist, Billy Graham said, "A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society."

Love can be communicated in many ways and too often we notice that the way a father shares his love with his children isn’t given much value and importance.

Men enjoy buying stuff and giving it when they share love. It is like sharing a part of them with you. Often times the monies used to purchase these gifts and items are hard earned monies on which they place great value; Monies that cost them their strength, energy and time away from home.

June is here and every year we take the time out to acknowledge the fathers across the world. Today I raise my hand for dad. I will always remember one small boy in my Sunday school class some years ago who said that when he grows up he would like to be a father. I thought, ‘How wonderful’.

To my female readers, please help to make our men become fathers we can all be proud of. Support them with your kind words of encouragement. Refuse to add your energy to the many negative voices out there.

To my male readers, we can do better and better is required of us, the odds are against us but let us keep our hands raised for dad. Regardless of whether you were exposed to good fatherhood, you can make a change and make a difference. Our children need their identity, they need us. Our Heavenly Father is counting on us. I raise my hand for dad. I raise my hand to you, keep going.