Sunday, June 19, 2011

For my son on Father's Day

You're closer to seven than six now. And soon you'll be a full fledged second grader. It's an exciting time to be growing and gaining so much independence. You have a lot to be glad for.

Right now, though, you don't realize just how blessed you are.

To have both of your parents together and to be celebrating Father's Day with your daddy is a gift from God. Just as you are to us.

When your father and I were your age, our lives looked very different than yours does now. Each year you grow we are reminded of the memories within the caverns of our minds -- we have some happy ones in there, and we also have some sad-feeling ones.

The parts of our story that brought us pain gives us so much gratitude for Today.

Your daddy and I grew up without the unabashed joy Father's Day can bring to children. We grew up tentative and reserved around this day -- always knowing we were missing someone and something wasn't quite right within our heart.

As we began to really know our true Father, we felt peace about this day.

Father's Day is now a special day to honor your Daddy as a father, and to thank our Father for the men He placed in our lives. All. Of. Them. Including how we know Him.

I want you to know, my little peanut-butter, that you'll be disappointed someday. You might not always be as close to me or your daddy as you are now. We will frustrate you. Because we aren't perfect.

As you grow, I pray that this day -- Father's Day -- will be a day when you can celebrate your ultimate Father in Heaven, the one who truly gave you life.

I pray that the relationship you're building with your daddy will grow into a deep, wonderful, beautiful story of acceptance and love. But most of all, I pray your Father shows you what it means to be you and live the story He has planned for you.

This year, I am grateful to watch you and your daddy play catch in the yard together and be everything a picturesque family can be. And as I think about the reality life holds -- how what we have now won't always stay this way -- I look to my Father and give thanks for all of that, and I trust that He knows best.

You need space to grow and I'm learning that, as your relationship with me is more push-pull with the sweetest touch of love sprinkled throughout. You teach me about Men in this way and bring me closer to your daddy.

You show me what love is, sweetie-pie.  You accept me without conditions and forgive me so much quicker than I can ever understand. Your love surrenders all pretense and you are free to give without reservation. You help me to heal.

You give me hope as I watch the way you go all out in your joy for life, and as I watch you make good choices -- for you, and for the benefit of others.

You're learning from a good man. You're learning how to be kind and gentle, thoughtful and attentive. 

And you're learning from an even Greater Man as you learn more and more about His Truth's and Love for you.

I pray you rich blessings on this Father's Day, my son -- that you would be inspired to learn from your daddy's love for you, that you would grow into the man God designed you to be, and that you would know His love for you -- how wide and deep it goes through your life.

I pray that even now, God would be building you up into a man who honors Him. I pray that you will one day hold little-arms in your own bigger-arms and you would seek Him for guidance in being a daddy to your own beloved.

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