Today we celebrate our fathers! My dad has always been my hero. Some would describe him as a mountain of a man, to me, he is just dad. When I was a little girl, I’d hold my dad’s hand and it would completely envelop mine. My dad can make anything special – even a trip to the orthodontist. How many kids can actually say they look forward to going to the orthodontist? I can, but it wasn’t because I would be getting to pick a new color to rock my braces out with – it was because I’d get to spend some time with my dad, who would usually stop at Gabriel’s Cheesesteak Hoagies for lunch before dropping me back off at school. My dad tells the best stories, and my dad is actually funny. Yeah, you’ve heard it here: my dad is the best dad in the world. He has taught us kids the value of hard work, he has a soft spot for the underdog, he can fix anything, he makes the inventors of Excel wish they had his talent, and he loves his family fiercely.
I knew that one day, I would want to marry a man like my dad.
Enter Seth’s dad: The day I met Mr. McDonald is a day I won’t ever forget. I was a cheerleader for the basketball team that Seth played on. One night after a game, Seth’s dad walked right up to me and introduced himself: “Hi! I’m Pastor Bob McDonald, Seth McDonald is my son, and I just want you to know that I’m praying that you will marry my son one day!” Did I mention that Seth was new to the school? Ha! Well, Seth’s dad told him that night what he did and Seth apologized to me the next day (I’m cracking up writing this, Ah memory lane!). Seth’s dad was goofy, the worst dancer, his best friend, and loved Jesus with his whole heart.
Enter Seth: I have never met another person like Seth. He has a heart that beats for people and strives to love people like Jesus loves people. He is my best friend and the love of my life. He is the most amazing father to our children. He is not afraid to hear the word “no,” and he views each obstacle life throws at him as an adventure that he revels in overcoming. He challenges us to pray big, to seek to serve, and to walk by faith. Seth loves Jesus. He wakes up each day looking forward to what God has in store. He once asked me to pray with him about the Lord giving us more opportunities to serve Him, and that very day God opened our eyes to multiple ways that we could share Christ with others – from pumping gas for a lady crying at the pump (it was her first time pumping gas ever, her husband of sixty years had just passed away), to opening doors and starting a church from the ground up in our community. Seth’s faith-legs get worked out daily. Our children are blessed to call him “dad”!
Seth, my dad, and my father in law are all examples of what our Heavenly Father (Abba!) can do with imperfect men who serve a perfect Savior.
Read: Psalm 139:23-24 & 1 Timothy 6:11-12
Consider: 1 Corinthians 16:13, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
Whenever I read or study about what God calls a man, husband, and father to do; I am challenged and inspired to become a better woman, wife, and mother so that I can better cheer and encourage my husband and children into becoming the best they can be for Jesus. When looking at biblical manhood, I am amazed that our God leaves nothing out, acknowledging the need to be both gentle and strong, humble and bold, patient and active, godly and kind. Our Creator equips us with the exact tools needed to be who God has called us to be! Hebrews 13:20-21, “Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.”
As a mom, I think this is where this devotion hits home the most. How can I help my son grow in Jesus, thirst for Him, and lean on Him? I think it comes from the very thing God requires of men: to lay every part of myself, and my children, before God every single day. – Paul’s words, “I die daily,” in 1 Corinthians 15:31 take on a whole new meaning! Mac is kind, has his dad’s tender heart, and is quick to forgive; he’s also very much a thirteen-year-old boy! Actions speak louder than words, so I pray that my actions point my children to Christ in a way that makes them race towards Jesus with abandon. Micah 6:8, “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
To Do: What life lessons has your dad taught you? How have those lessons helped you to grow in Christ?
