A Father & Child Reunited

In many ways, being a dad is a thankless job.  You work hard to provide for your family, but it never seems like what you do is enough.  The things the kids need and their wants that they confuse for needs make many a dad feel at best inadequate and at worst they see themselves as a failure. 

Furthermore, dads are usually the enforcer in the family;  They’re often the bearers of bad news.  Many have to look their kids in the eyes and tell them they need to shape up.  These fathers are the ones who have to tell their kids “No.”  As a result, a dad can feel pretty lonely in a home that’s otherwise quite busy.

So, Father’s Day is a holiday where children are reminded how important their father is to their life and well-being.  Truly, dads are God’s gift to children.  Sadly, not everyone sees it that way.  For some men Father’s Day is a cruel joke.  Contrary to what you might see on the Lifetime network, not every single woman’s ex is a deadbeat dad. 

For example, I have a friend—I’ll call him Bob—who got married over 20 years ago.  He and his wife had a girl together.  Shortly after committing his life to Jesus, Bob’s wife divorced him.  A custody battle ensued and Bob lost.  But, for his ex-wife, this wasn’t enough.  She poisoned her daughter against him so that she wanted nothing to do with him.  Despite letters and attempts to visit, Bob’s daughter, who is now an adult, has made it clear that she has no desire to have a relationship with her heartbroken father.

Can you imagine what it might be like for my friend Bob if his daughter picked up the phone tomorrow and wished him a Happy Father’s Day?  What if she said, “I’ve got the day off this Saturday.  Would you like to spend the day together?”

How do you think Bob would respond?  I imagine he’d be speechless.  After recovering from his shock, I think he would say something like: “Well, sure.  There’s nothing more on this earth I’d want to do than see you.  I’ve been waiting 20 years for this.  If I spent just this one day with you I could die a happy man!”

In Genesis 45-47, we see the reuniting of a father and son in Jacob and Joseph who had been separated for over 20 years.  Although the circumstances behind Jacob and Joseph's separation are much different then my friend Bob's estrangement from his daughter, the grief and pain are the same.  This moving story gives hope to every father and child who dream of being reunited and restoring a relationship that was severed through the events and decisions that come from living in a fallen and broken world.

To every Dad, I wish you a Happy Father's Day!!

The following article is a portion of Sunday's sermon in my series in the book of Genesis.  All are welcome to join us for worship @ 10:30 am.  Lighthouse Community Baptist Church is located at 22 Pequot Trail in Pawcatuck, Connecticut.