dad's dad's dad's...

"The effect of a father is endless." I had breakfast with a dad not to long ago and he made this comment. I've been thinking a lot about it. The dad that I met with was Travis Turner, who might as well be my dad, he and his family are my family's longest/best friends. He has been just one of the 3 men in my life that I would call my "almost dads." (the others I am sure to mention are Dick Mason and Dan Green.) I'm sure we all have men like this in our lives! The dad's that you call to wish happy father's day even though they are not your dad, and the ones that just love you like their own.

Back to the point of this blog. Dads and their affect on our lives. I know there is a million people who don't have "good dads," and there are thousands that have "good dads," then there are the rare few who have the "great dads." what make this difference? what is the key to being a great dad? what is the downfall of the not-so-great dads? What is the definition of a good dad? I think it is more than being there for you, and more than calling and saying "hi, how are you?" once you've moved out. I think it is the advice, the voice, the comfort, the evidence of the LORD in their life. Granted the calls are wonderful the security is even better, but I think what we all want in our fathers (and one day the father of our kids) is the evidence of Christ.

My dad is far from the "great dad" and far from the worst dad. He is just... lost. The evidence of Christ in him is gone. The security that I have from Christ living in my father isn't there. This makes everything seems worse. It isn't simply that he doesn't have a stable job, or that he doesn't call, or that he can literally disappear for weeks that removes his title of "great dad." It is the absence of CHRIST! If we as his family could know that he puts Christ as his center, that he is convicted by Christ, that he would respond to what the Lord was telling him, those things wouldn't matter as much. The facts being: he could have the best job, he could call, he could be so "stable" and involved, and still we would doubt his convictions, we would wonder, doubt...

SO... my mind is lost trying to figure it out. I know I need to let go and let God. I love my dad more than anything, and the thing that kills me is that my father the man that I want more than anything to look me in the eyes and say "i'm proud of you for _____" has lost his sense of conviction. He has lost his hope in Christ.

My prayer, my plead is that Jesus will once again take precedence in his life, that he will yearn for a closer, better, stronger, walk with Christ. In fact this isn't only my hope for him but my hope for me, for all of us....

LORD save me from making the mistakes of my father. Bring my daddy home to you. Heal his heart. I love him and I miss him. Lord you are my real father and I trust that in you all things are possible. Save his heart from more hardness.