Fathers

I usually don't write blogs back to back, but so much has happened this week I just need to get this out..
So Thursday night at our annual Holy Convocation at my church two Bishops preached and their format was tag team preaching. So the first speaker began talking about Eli and how his sons were out of order and evetually the Lord caused them to die. He talked about a lack of fathering and training. He laid the foundation, and then the next speaker began by giving his own testimony. He'd been raised in a household of 8 children and his father wasn't there for him growing up. He'd asked God to make him a good husband and father since he hadn't experienced this growing up. God honored him and showed him how to be a loving husband and phenomenal father. His story touched me because here is a man who chose to defy the odds and expectations of him to be like his father and maybe even worse. Through a simple prayer and calculated actions he became the father and affirmer that he never had. He stressed the importance of the role of a father and the need for children to have a father's affirmation.

I agree with that, I believe that the role of a mentor, father, male figure is essential to the emotional success of any boy or girl. Men possess a certain strength of character(as do women) but I'm sure we can all appreciate the strengths that men bring to the table. Protector, provider, one that covers, and that can often bear the emotional and spiritual weight of a family. In our society there is a serious lack of this presence on a consistent level in the lives of boy and girls. I believe that we see the effects of this. My goal is to encourage men who are not being a father(daddy) to their children to PLEASE find a way to begin taking your role and being consistent in it. Those that are active PLEASE stay active re-assure and affirm your children it makes a world of difference for them in their future endeavors and especially their future relationships.

My biological father passed when I was young and there were a few men that I call brothers that stepped up, but when I was about 18 I began to develop a REAL father/daughter relationship with my Godfather. I thank God for him everyday..He has been there for me, completely believes in me, and loves me even when we don't agree ..I love it!! I was always told that my biological father loved me and I believed it, but seeing my DAD (Godfather), as I call him, in church on a Sunday leading worship, preaching, giving me that Hug I need until I soften up..LOL..has changed my life..Recently I went to my DAD about a matter of the heart and though he is generally supportive of what I want..He simply told me who I am, what I deserve, and said what you're telling me is NOT good enough for my daughter....well, THAT alone set me on a course of thinking that has brought me spiritual and emotional freedom..

My point in sharing my heart is to urge us to see the value in fathers and pray for the fathers that are not standing up and being the men that their children need.. we can talk about the problems until we are blue in the face, but God wants us to pray, give words of encouragementand support to those men that might be struggling along the way.

Thank God for a heavenly FATHER that never fails, shows un-ending love, and loves us beyond our pain and faults :-)
Love yall Much,
Nakiyah