Father's Day

If you met someone for the very first time and could only ask them 1 question about him/herself, what question could you ask that would tell you more about that person than any other? Where they were born? How many brothers and sisters? What kind of job they had? Although these questions may give you a little insight into their world, nothing will tell you more than the question --- what do you believe about God?

Tons of research has been done on the power of this single question...so much so that it is now a standard question on every psychological inventory...and held by many psychologists (despite their own beliefs or lack of) to be the most important piece of information they can obtain to see into that person's heart, mind, and soul. And, as research shows, what people believe about God and His love often reflects (for the good or bad) the relationship they have/had with their Earthly father.

All these years and years of research to come to these conclusions could easily be found in the Bible written thousands of years ago in Psalm 145:4 --- One generation shall praise thy works to another. With this new job this has become even more clear...the negative effects of an absent father. That is why I love my dad so much and appreciate that he has ALWAYS been there for me whether sporting events, magic shows, school productions, whatever...he was always there! It really didn't matter one bit what he said or any mistakes that he made as a father (which are never remembered anyway), just that he was there. Anytime I look back on my childhood and think of dad, that is all I remember --- him always being there! I don't remember many bad times, I don't remember being yelled at much (of course that was reserved for my brother who made me look like an angel!), I just remember that no matter what, dad was always there.

And as both research and the Bible shows, this has had a HUGE impact on my spiritual life. How have I always viewed God since I've become a Christian? I know God as my Heavenly Father who is always there. That is thanks to my dad who taught me that is what a father is all about...being there. If you've had an absent father, God can certainly help anyone overcome any misconceptions about Him (I've seen that happen over and over...even in my dad's life since my grandpa wasn't always present in his life), and today I thank God for giving me a father that has taught me so much --- especially the importance of just being there for my own kids someday and as the Bible tells us, that legacy can be handed down from generation to generation.

Happy Father's Day!