Here's another passage that has always been one of my favorites. Sorry for the length, but it is good reading:The Power of a Father Is IncredibleWhat is the most powerful word in the English
language? Have you ever thought about
it? List some possibilities: love? Hope? Vision? Sacrifice? There are many candidates.
How about Dad?
Ever thought of it that way before? Just walk through what you know about
life. When it comes to power in a
youngster’s world, I’ll put my money on Dad.Â
As words go, hope, vision, and sacrifice don’t mean a whole lot to
little tykes. But the power of Dad
reaches far beyond a youngster’s childhood.Â
The power of a father is incredible.
I remember years ago standing on the banks of a
river in central Washington. I was just
a boy, and boys on riverbanks toss rocks.Â
My dad was with me and we were throwing rocks together. They would fly farther and farther out into
the current with telltale splashes. It
was pretty exciting stuff to see just how far out into this swift, wide river
we could wing those missiles.
Then something awesome happened. Dad picked up a rock a little larger than the
others. He windmilled it once around his
shoulder, stepped into it and heaved
that rock like I had not seen before.Â
Wide-eyed, I traced its arc into the sky, and it sailed clear across the
river and bounced on the opposite bank.Â
My jaw dropped. To this youngster
it was an awe-inspiring display of raw power. I remember wondering that day if
my dad might really be Clark Kent – Superman in disguise. I thought to myself, I am the son of the most powerful man in the universe. I wanted to be just like him.
Little did I know then that my father’s impressive
physical strength was just a metaphor for the incredible spiritual strength of
a father. It was a visable symbol of an
invisible reality. Like no other person,
a father possesses a special power to mold another’s life, shape it, give it
form. When you think about it awhile,
there are few things more powerful.
My dad’s physical strength showed up a long in
projects, chores, and things such as throwing rocks across rivers. But on one day in particular, I was struck
again with that strength and how it could touch me.
Down the hill from our house was a vacant lot. On one occasion Dad and I were down there
together…..must have been playing catch.Â
I don’t remember. But I will
never forget the run up the hill.
In the midst of our activity, mom came to the front
porch and called us to dinner. Dad and I
glanced at each other. Our eyes
met. They sparkled. Without a word we both sensed it was ‘time
for a race’. We took off running up the
hill. It was glorious, running along
with my dad. Man, it was great! But try as I might, my little legs couldn’t
keep up with his long ones. He started
to pull ahead. My neck strained. My muscles stretched. But I was losing ground. Then, just like it did throwing rocks across
the river, something really special happened.
Dad, seeing me start to drop back, reached out his
hand to me. His eyes said Grab hold.Â
Let’s run together. Still
running, my little hand slipped inside his larger one. It was like magic! His power lifted me right off the
ground. I took off in his strength. My speed doubled because my dad had hold of
me.
That’s a lot like life. A kid’s speed doubles when Dad takes hold at
home. Take hold, Dad! Hold on for all you’re worth. Hold on in the face of storms and
disappointment and sorrows and temptations and hurts and crazy, churning
circumstances. There isn’t much of
anything in life children can’t face with Dad’s strong hand wrapped tightly
around theirs.
And while you’re at it, with your other hand, hold
on tightly to your heavenly Father’s hand.Â
Let Him be your
confidence and wisdom and stability when you just can’t find your own. Let His strength pull you up life’s long
hills until you stand together, laughing and catching your breath, on heaven’s
front porch.
After all, isn’t that what Fathers are for?
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