Father's Day for the Fatherless

We all have earthly fathers to who we were born. Some of those fathers were wonderful and loving as fathers are supposed to be. Other fathers were absent from our lives. Still, other fathers were neglectful or abusive in ways that are beyond our understanding.

Father's Day has never been an easy day for me personally. My relationship with my father was loving at times, and abusive at times. As a child, he was wonderfully loving, funny and kind. As a teenager, he started to abuse me sexually. I remember how difficult it was to go and pick out a Father's Day card. Most of them did not sound anything like my father...and to give the card would have been a lie. I spent my teenage years living in fear of him. I spent many years, even after I no longer lived at home, reaping the effects of the abuse...scarred emotionally...wondering how my daddy turned out to be the way he was.

I lost my father in 1996, and was able to make peace with him before he died. I was able to forgive him...more for my sake than for his. Still, the scars remain.

I am not alone in my story. There are many of you out there who have a difficult time with Father's Day. There are many of you who feel you have never really had a father.

I remember well a sermon my pastor recently preached. He was talking about fathers because he had recently lost his own father. My pastor had a beautiful, loving relationship with his father and he told us many stories of his life with him and the lessons he learned along the way. He told us on this particular Sunday that he understood not all of us have fathers like the father he had. He reminded us, however...that God is our true Father. He reminded us that He is always there for us, an infinite source of unconditional love, guidance, and compassion...always forgiving and filled with mercy.

I would remind you today that you DO have a father. He is with you all the time. He will never abandon you. He will never abuse you. He will never neglect you. All that He does, He does out of His love for You. Remember this on this Father's Day. No matter how fatherless you may feel, you DO have a Father.