Father’s Day Tribute 2018

Daddy. Papa. Pops. Padre. Dad. Father. Whatever you call yours, he’s the man that physiologically played a huge role in you bringing you to life. If he didn’t physiologically play a part in your creation, maybe he was instrumental in your upbringing and nurturing. He might be young and fit, old and wrinkly, or gone on to that better place. Whatever the case may be, for many of us, the term father brings a smile to our faces and a warmth to our hearts.

My pastor, Dr. F. Bruce Williams said something compelling today in service (as he consistently does). He said, “A good father knows how to communicate love.” After this declaration, my mind immediately went off into that pondering place to further analyze the statement. This one statement pretty-much sums up the job of a father.

So, if the single job of the father is to show love to his children, how does he complete that task successfully? Although seemingly simplistic, to communicate love is an immensely complex concept.  Generally speaking along societal, biblical, and  Steve Harvey standards, fathers communicate love to their children by providing for and protecting them. Many fathers work tirelessly to provide for their families and will do whatever it takes to maintain their safety. That’s a given. It’s in the male DNA. Macho Man, right? But what about the other ways that fathers communicate love to their children—you know, the everyday things that daddies all over the world do in order to demonstrate this love?

Daddies spend time, cook, clean, comb hair, play tag, change diapers, play video games, discipline, pray, take walks, have talks, wipe tears, and cry tears, fix things, wipe faces, and (fill in the blank with tasks X, Y, and Z) for their children. All of the small, casually insignificant things that dads do so often communicate the love that they have for their children.

My daddy communicated his love to me in several ways. I rarely ever heard the words, “I love you,” but I knew he loved me by the way he treated me and cared for me. He was my taxi driver home when my mother worked evenings. He took me bowling, where he showed off his skills and attempted to teach me some. He taught me how to drive, bought me cars, and made sure I knew my multiplication facts in and out. He was determined that I was going to be a girl that was good at math. The most memorable way that my father communicated his love for me (and the world), however, was through food. He was a cook in the U.S. Army and some local restaurants, but he showed his skills in the kitchen at home the most. There was a hot (and tasty) meal on the table every night. A lot of you all reading this post are shaking your heads, because you know Freddie could cook! I sure miss those Sunday dinners at the Drummond household!

I know, some of you are shaking your head, saying, “Nope. My sperm donor didn’t do any of those things for me.” And unfortunately, that is true for many people. You may have never gotten the chance to known your father. Maybe you don’t even know his name or what he looks like. Or, perhaps your father has passed on, as mine has. Well, don’t be dismayed. For you are not alone. You do have a father. One that loves you. One that knows everything there is to know about you and wants you to get to know Him. There is a father in heaven that loves you more than you could ever imagine. He loves you so much, in fact, that he sent his son to die a cruel and unjust death so that all of his children can live with him forever in heaven. (John 3:16)

That is the ultimate way to communicate love.

The father I’m speaking of also communicates his love through the act of forgiveness. He forgives us and commands us to forgive others in that same manner. Maybe you and your father are estranged, or not on good terms. Well, today is the day that you can make things right, or at least move toward reconciliation. Send that text. Make that call. You never know when his time on Earth (or yours) will be up.

Don’t miss the opportunity to make it right.

I want to take this time to wish each and every father out there a Happy Father’s Day! Enjoy your day, and keep on being the best father you can be!

If you’ve made it to the end of this post, please leave a positive comment sharing how your father (or your husband, cousin, uncle, brother, or boo thang) communicates love to his child(ren).

This is your chance to shout out all of those positive fathers and father figures in your life!