Thank God for My Fathers
For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. I Corinthians 4:15
This month will be filled with events and activities that symbolize the coming of summer. Students will attend proms and graduate from school. The days will get longer and most importantly (to me) we'll celebrate fathers on the third Sunday.
When it comes to honoring fathers, I have a great deal to be thankful for.
If you visit our website you know I talk a great deal about my parents: I often say I am the product of good parenting. I wrote about my mom last month, and it's only right that I talk about my dad today.
I cannot say enough to thank him for his years of hard work and sacrificing. I cannot thank him enough for the example he set in manhood, dedication, loving my mother, and most of all loving God.
You'll note I entitled this article with the word Fathers (plural). This is because in addition to my biological father there have been other great men that have mentored me: Bishop Ted Thomas, Sr., Bishop William Haven Bonner, Bishop Floyd Brown, Elder Joseph Guilford, Deacon Richard Lowrey and Deacon Matthew Jones.
I recently heard a statistic that more than 57% of all African American children live in a home without their biological father. The percentage of Hispanic children was more than 30% and for Caucasian children more than 20%. What an indictment on our society and what a negative impact on our judicial, penal, educational, religious and other systems because as the scriptures say, "…we have not many fathers."
I have been so blessed to have so many positive, godly men pouring into my life. I only pray I will be able to encourage, teach, train and bless the lives of others as well.
This month I want to encourage you to reach out to the father-figure in your life. I also want you to extend the love of God into the life of a child who does not have a father in their life. We'll never know what child will avoid prison because we loved on them. We'll never know what child escaped the stronghold of addiction because of the attention we gave them.
I thank God for all of my fathers that did all of the above for me and a whole lot more. They probably don't even know it and I'm not going to trust that they'll read this article to find out – I'm going to tell them!
Happy Father's Day!