Hope for The Fatherless Generation

Father's Day. 

I've already lost some of you. 
Actually, I've already lost most of you. 
The Fatherless Generation....... most of us.


STAY WITH ME.

Which means more Father's Day cards will be delivered by mail than by hand, or not at all.
Which means dads who didn't even know they were dads until it was too late will grieve.
Which means more children and fathers will be remembered rather than embraced this day.
Which means a great deal for the America we live in today.

STAY WITH ME.

I've learned a lot watching my husband father our children.

I've learned that men are created with an innate need to provide well for their families.
I've learned that it is God's plan for fathers to protect their children.
I've learned that our home runs best when I let my husband lead our family.
I've learned that a father's sense of responsibility and work ethic is noted by his children.
I've learned that dads need respect as much as moms need love.
I've learned that dads impact children with a greater sense of authority, courage, and integrity.
I've learned husbands are designed to depict Christ to the world is so many ways.

While I'm thankful and grateful for a husband who has been this model for our children, I had to learn to let go of the pain I was carrying from my own abandonment as a child in order to appreciate it.

So, I can relate to what some of you are thinking:

But my dad didn't......
But I never was given the chance to.....
If only she would have let me.....
If only he could have....
Boy, do I fall short....

You know by now, I'm not leaving you on a heavy note without hope.

SO STAY WITH ME.

Truth is..... it's still can be hard for me, too.

Which is the only reason I feel I can even come close to touching this.
I've been thinking about this for several years now.
And I'm watching it unfold before me.

The Fatherless Generation.

A generation largely....
Void of provision.
Void of protection.
Void of leadership.
Void of responsibility.
Void of work ethic.
Void of respect.
Void of authority.
Void of courage.
Void of integrity.
Void of Christ.

America.

Humbling, isn't it.
The Fatherless Generation.

This picture made me really think.
It made me think about what I made my own absent father look like.
What would your earthly father look like?

Loving and caring,
generous and selfless,
serving and strong,
providing and integral,
present and courageous,

or perhaps....

Absent or distant,
selfish or weak,
lazy or irresponsible,
disengaged or unconcerned,
lying or cheating,
harsh or angry.

There is also one more thing I have learned.
Often, our picture of our earthly father resembles our picture of our Heavenly Father too.

You see, that is where I went wrong.

I began to sketch out my own God out of my own circumstances. 
Not intentionally, but indirectly it happened over time. 
I sketched out a God that did not reflect my Heavenly Father at all.
And it is happening in homes all across America today.

Thankfully, I couldn't have been more wrong.

While my earthly father remained distant and removed,
I had a Heavenly Father who never, ever left my side. 
While my earthly father was disengaged and unconcerned,
I had a Heavenly Father who knew and cared about every single detail of my life.

Kids can live without dads.
Dads can live without kids.
But an entire nation with a wrong impression of who God is.... will tear itself apart.
We are watching it happen.
It is the one thing regardless of political party, religion, or race we can agree on these days.
Our nation is in need of transformation.

I can't help to feel that the crisis of integrity, leadership, and even economics that we find ourselves in doesn't somehow relate to the fact that millions of men either stepped away from or were denied the ability to do the very things they were designed to do:  provide, protect, lead, instill a sense of responsibility and work ethic, be respected, teach the virtues of authority, courage, integrity..... we're missing our image bearers of Christ, and are afraid of (or avoiding meeting) a God that is really not at all Who we've drawn Him up to be.

Sure, there are many other things that have played their part.  But really, how can the vast void of all of this, and the creation of so many unapproachable or vacant gods have not affected us.

I know guys struggle with what to do when they feel like a failure.
But, I also know that they are also designed with an desire to want to fix things.
Like fixing most things, we need to start with the only thing we can change... ourselves.

I don't know your story, but I know God can redeem all brokenness.
Your mess is not to big for Him, if you take it to Him.
Jesus is in the business of transforming lives, and we need transformation.
Only He can take things intended for evil, and turning it into something good.
No matter how you've drawn Him up, God wants to reveal the Truth of who He is.
Let Him begin to redeem your story.
Seize and prioritize opportunities to engage as a father.
Learn about what God wants a father to do and be, and become that.
There are always ways to tell your children you love them, you'll find a way if your looking.

(A special note to all the fathers of aborted children.  Abortion counsel is not just for women.  Men, many times the void of all that you were intended to be grows and intensifies with time.  Don't ignore it.  There are a rising number of both young and older men now seeking help to heal.  Help is available, seek it out.  If you had no say, or found out after the abortion.... my heart goes out to you.  Know that I have paused to pray for you all to find the courage to find someone that you can trust with your story.  Our nation needs you to heal, too.  You make up a big part of us.)

We are at the place in history, where every man who follows Christ could have dozens fatherless children and several fathers that he is sharing Truth with... and still there would be more.  But God's plan for discipleship only starts with one.  Who is that in your life?  Go find them, they seldom are brought to you.  Who will look back one day and thank you for being there for them?

Biological fathers taking every chance to be present and engaged.....  well done.
Fathers raising children that mothers have walked away from.... well done.
Fathers raising children that do not share your blood.....  well done.
Fathers walking alongside other fathers in Truth..... well done.
Fathers speaking into lives of the fatherless...  well done.
Fathers deciding to turn it around..... well done.
You are helping heal this nation.
One life at a time.

It is so much deeper than just your home, guys.
Fathers, we need you..... all of you, desperately.
Reconcile with as many family members as you can.
Step up to be what you were created to be.
Teach them what God designed you to do best.

Provide, protect, lead, display responsibility and good work ethic, be worthy of respect, teach the virtues of authority, courage, integrity..... be an image bearer of Christ to our needy world.

There a billions of stories out there yet to be told.
Each one is as unique as each man is. 
Share yours with someone.
Listen to someone else's.
Begin to heal a nation.
In your home.