Right now I’m
sitting in the open-air downstairs area of our luxurious lime green, concrete
house in Puerto Barrios. For one
of the first days since coming here, it’s actually a comfortable enough
temperature outside to just sit and not sweat. The other nice thing is that since today is Sunday, it’s our
Sabbath so we can actually sit and rest today.
I’ve been in a
very reflective mood all morning and have already spent a lot of time writing
and reading, but a few
minutes ago a moment caught my eye that I just had to
write to you about. Across the
street I saw a father and son playing in the yard. The reason this caught my eye is because the boy couldn’t
have been older than 7 but he was being pushed around on his dad’s bike. With the wheels as wobbly as can be and
the little boy’s hands in the air more than on the handlebars, both smiles told
me this was a touching moment.
This brought up
the question, “When is a bike no longer
just a bike?”
The best part of
this is that this isn’t just a touching Father’s Day story because Guatemala is
one of a couple of countries that celebrated this holiday a few days ago, so
today is just Sunday. The best
part of this story, at least for the son, is the other 364 days of the year. The best part is that today is just
Sunday.
What if that bike became a bridge that
connected the father with his son…
Now I write this
blog for two main reasons. The
first is to take at least today to thank my dad for the other 364 days. I am who I am today because of the
example you set and the time you spent with me. Thanks that while today may be a big day for Fathers all
over, to you it’s just Sunday.
It’s just natural for you to wake up today and be a dad.
The second reason
for this is that many out there have either lost their fathers or don’t have
that relationship. This is always
such a tough situation especially since the Bible constantly refers to God as
Father and for many this picture never fully hits home. Many will see God as a distant, stern
figure that they must fight for His attention. Others may see Him as vengeful and full of anger at our
screw-ups that they must hide from His presence. Still others just never see Him because the word “Father” is
foreign to them.
I write all this
to tell you that God doesn’t need a special day to connect with you. He doesn’t need Easter or Christmas or
a New Years Resolution. He doesn’t
need a big rally or revival or church service. He just needs you to realize that today is just another day
for Him to be a Father. He is the
same today as yesterday and the day before and as He will be tomorrow. Nothing
can separate you from His love.
Now, step into
your role as a son or daughter and allow Him to show you the Father He can be.HH
