A FATHER’S HEART
“This is My beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17b). These were the words spoken over Jesus at His
baptism at the hands of John the Baptist and, in principle, represent the words
every child is desirous of hearing from his/her father. But, what does one do when a father is not
present in the lives of his children to speak those words? Let me tell you what one surrogate father did
for his two adoptive sons. But first,
let me set up the situation.
There is a mother and two sons where a father has exited the
scene, by divorce or simply walking out the door, I don’t know. In time another man steps into the scene,
through marriage to the mother, with two potentially rebellious boys on his
hands, ages six and four. This man has
never parented before, but is a Christian.
He asks God what to do in handling the boys—a procedure unfolded,
beginning with the fact that the surrogate dad knew the boys missed their
father and one of the wisest things he could do was help bridge the gap between
the boys and their non-resident father.
Here’s what happened.
God impressed it upon the surrogate father to find ways to
“press” these boys into constructive thinking about the non-present dad. This he did by helping them to select cards
and gifts appropriate for birthdays, Christmases, and Father’s Day. Year by year this continued and was
supplemented by weekly telephone calls the boys were asked to make to their
father. On this latter item they were
tested every week by their surrogate dad, “Have you phoned your father this
week?” If not, they were to phone as
quickly as possible.
This process continued through the years so that the
absentee father was reckoned to be a vital factor in the lives of these sons; though limited to
the interaction initiated by the sons.
This relationship, encouraging the sons to “seek after” their father,
enabled the surrogate dad to speak into the lives of these boys, soon enough to
become men, and set the stage for the boys to receive the discipline from him.
The result. These
boys grew into productive manhood, graduating from high school with training
beyond enabling them to take and hold good jobs; without the bitterness, anger
and resentment so often accompanying such situations. The sons are now in their mid-20’s.
This was a first-hand story related to me by the surrogate
dad who presently has a fine, Christian testimony with the “glory of God” on
him.
All over America boys and girls have been abandoned by their
fathers, or, because of being born out of wedlock, have never known a
father. This circumstance is provoking
such a series of social ills that, if not mightily addressed, might sink our
ship of state. This story is what one
man did to turn about matters.
