Real Men

I usually include some relevant photo at the end of my post, Today, I am beginning with one.

These are the fathers present during our morning worship at Resurrection Life Church on Father's Day today. To say their presence at service is a reason for gratitude is an understatement. To say their role in their children's lives is a reason for us all to be grateful is something we all need to acknowledge. Today is the day to do just that.

Some of these men have young children, children they lead and encourage to come to church, to come to Jesus. Some have children who are grown -- sons they are encouraging to seek the Lord and cherish their wives, daughters they are encouraging to choose godly men and honor their husbands. Some have grandsons for whom they would drop any and all worldly pursuits to take fishing, granddaughters for whom they would suffer indignity to have tea and play dress-up; grandchildren for whom they pray nightly. These are real men, God's men.

Do you see that one there, second to the right? That guy there is father to his children, step-father (meaning, he stepped up) to mine, and grandfather to our grandchildren. That guy there is my husband. My husband has taught me what a good father acts like; my husband has taught me what a loving father says and does. My husband is a father who hurts for his children; society says male role models are detached, and even, oblivious. My husband works tirelessly for our children, and longs to protect his children; society says men are unqualified and lazy. My husband would go to the wall for his children; society says fathers are secondary and unnecessary. In my husband I have found a father who cares, who provides, who uses discipline and correction to keep his children safe and set them on the right paths. In my husband I have learned that real men fail because they try; real men apologize because they are sometimes reactionary and insensitive; real men don't always act like "movie dads"  because there are no script-writers, and there are no retakes. Society says men should apologize simply for being born male. But the true measure of a dad is what they are willing to sacrifice to try to get it right. The true measure of a man is how hard he is willing to swim when the current of public opinion is pushing the other way. The true measure of a family man is where God stands in his life.

Happy Father's Day to some real men!