Dear Tabernacle Family,
Father’s Day brings so many different thoughts to mind.
I think of those who are becoming new dads. At the birth to our first child, Tom held our little girl in his arms. She was crying and he spoke to her softly and tenderly. She stopped crying to listen. She knew his voice. How often do we listen for our heavenly Father’s voice and really hear? When He speaks, His children know that they are in His care.
What about the kid-raising years? Like many families, our kids longed to be near their dad and to gain his attention. Over the years, my husband has been “dad” to numerous kids who needed that father’s attention, such as the time Tom escorted three young ladies to the door of their Junior Prom. He dressed in his suit and bow tie, and treated each one with such respect. What about our Heavenly Father? The Spirit of God dances over us. He delights in us and we are the apple of His eye. Our esteem and self-observance rise out of such treatment both from an earthly relationship and from God’s attention to us.
In the later years, relationships shift and parents become friends and sojourners in this life. I think of my own father and the relationship that we have. My daddy has been a provider, guider, decision-maker and friend. I am grateful for his faith and his prayers over his family. Every call is cherished and every event is a memory-maker as I drink in his last years here on earth. Even last night I asked his advice and learned as I listened. In this season of life, I am reminded that Heaven can touch earth and that the veil between them is often very thin. Someday my dad will step through that veil, and the weights of this world will drop off. What will also be left behind is the faith legacy he is building. His consistency of faith will remain as a guide to so many that he influenced in his lifetime.
Every one of us are in different circumstances regarding fathers. Some rejoice, some mourn, some wish, some are hopeful, some have given up hope and some have unresolved hurts. To all of my friends, may you know the Love of the Heavenly Father and His great joy over you. May you come to a new understanding of how the Father sees you and His great love for you. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads!
In His Name,
Pastor Sharon Baldwin