My granddaughter, celebrating her father's love for her, on her 5th birthday.
Generation-to-generation, the impact a man has on his daughter is so profound it's impossible to calculate on this side of heaven. As a daughter perceives her worth to her father, she believes her worth to be. And she lives accordingly, unless a life-interrupting, foundation-shaking, Worldview-altering experience changes her life... and she accepts the change.
The image a little girl stamps on her life is the image she gleans from her father. It may not be the image he has for her, but as surely as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, a daughter's opinion of her beauty is formed in the reflection she sees in her father's eyes.
Don't miss this Dads; Step-dads and Grand-dads too, your kids need what you are uniquely positioned to give.
- They need protection and, at the same time, opportunity to try new things.
- They need affirmation and correction.
- They need grace as much as they need discipline.
- The need rules, expectations and consequences, as surely as they need mercy, forgiveness and second-chances... especially when they don't deserve mercy, forgiveness and second-chances.
- They need a father who can still say, "No" when their kid has her daddy wrapped around her little finger.
- They must learn to respect others while negotiating for change... especially when they are negotiating with their mother.
- Our children need a thousand demonstrations that trust is earned over time, and being "loved" isn't the same as being "trusted."
What are we to say when they whine, "Don't you trust me?"
How about saying this? "Of course not. You're 14 years old." - "Pretty is, is pretty does," must be said... but so does, "If I could line up all the children in the world and pick one to be my child, I'd choose you."
We are all chosen.
We're called together, and as we grasp our worth to our Heavenly Father, our lives are stamped with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Men, let's be good fathers and bless our kids after the manner of our Father in Heaven. Generation-to-generation, our children will stamp sacred, treasured and loved on their lives, because they know their worth to us... and they'll live accordingly.
Colossians 3:12-17 - God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. So you should always clothe yourselves with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Bear with each other, and forgive each other. If someone does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgave you. Even more than all this, clothe yourself in love. Love is what holds you all together in perfect unity. Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, because you were all called together in one body to have peace. Always be thankful. Let the teaching of Christ live in you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and instruct each other by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Everything you do or say should be done to obey Jesus your Lord. And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.
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