A Tribute to Fathers One Week Early

By Dr. DAVID L. CHANCEY

Someone defined fathers as “men who give their daughters away to other men who aren’t nearly good enough so that they can have grandchildren who will be smarter than anyone else’s.”

I realize that I’m a week early, but I wanted to give tribute to Dads and this is the way the column rotation fell. Dads are special, also, but don’t always get the attention they need nor the credit they deserve, and Father’s Day is usually overshadowed by Mother’s Day.

Most wise dads understand their place. I heard about one dad who won a video game in a door prize drawing and he called his five children together and asked them to help decide who should get the game.

“Who is the most obedient,” he asked. “Who never talks back to his mother? Who does everything she says?”

The five children answered in unison, “You do, Dad. You get the prize.” One wise senior adult who was celebrating his 50th anniversary was asked the secret of their long marriage. He replied, “I learned a long time ago, you can be right or you can be happy.”

Most dads understand that the best gift they can give their children is to love their mother. Dads have great intentions, but I admit, some of us are sort of slow sometimes. A husband and wife were attending a marriage seminar dealing with communication, and the instructor asked the husbands, “what is your wife’s favorite flower?”

The well-meaning husband leaned over to his wife, gently stroked her arm, and tenderly asked, “It’s Pillsbury, isn’t it?”

Dads know, also, that their children think “love” is spelled “t-I-m-e.” One corporate executive who said his 5-year-old daughter was the most important part of his life, realized that he usually went to work before she got up in the morning and often returned home after she was in bed at night. So to spend time with her, he took her to the office with him one Saturday. After looking around his office, she asked, “Daddy, is this where you live?”

One of the biggest regrets fathers have when their children are grown and gone is not spending enough time with them when they could have. Pastor Robert Schuller once shared that even though he enjoyed golf immensely, he decided to be a failure at golf. He said, “I chose to fail at golf because I wanted to succeed as a father.” He decided that he couldn’t give the time to golf that he needed to devote if he was going to be the father he wanted to be.

That’s one important thing I remember about my father. He was always there for me and my brothers. He was in the back yard playing catch at the end of a long day at work. He was at little league baseball games even when I usually struck out. He was in the audience at every band concert. He was in the stands on Friday nights when the band was marching. He was on the pew with us every Sunday. He was at the table at every meal. And he was by my side on my wedding day. He was totally devoted to my mother. And he loved the Lord.

George Herbert said, “One father is better than a hundred school masters.” My father taught me a lot. He taught me to love the Lord, to love the church, and to love my family. He taught me to sing the old hymns with gusto. He taught me to pray publicly. He taught me the importance of being in church Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday evening. He taught me to be honest. He taught me to enjoy people. He taught me a love of baseball. He taught me by setting a good example.

Now I have the privilege of being a father. What an awesome responsibility! I pray that my kids will remember their dad was there for them, loved them dearly, and lived a life that taught them right from wrong and pointed them to a solid relationship with the Lord.

(Dr. David L. Chancey is pastor, McDonough Road Baptist Church. The church family meets at 352 McDonough Road and invites you to join them this Sunday for Bible study at 9:45 a.m. and worship at 10:55 a.m.).