Father's Day Without a Father

Yesterday was Father's Day. This is always a hard holiday for me. My dad died when I was 15, so I don't have many Father's Day memories. But it's even harder now that I have kids. You see, they don't see their own father but once, maybe twice a year even though he lives here in town. They stopped giving him Father's Day gifts several years ago. He would refuse to see them on Father's Day, so they would leave the gifts at Grandpa's house for him to pick up. Not once did they get a phone call or a note or anything to say "thank you" or to even acknowledge that he had picked them up! In fact this year, when we were talking about what to do for Grandpa, both kids were very defiant about the fact that they weren't doing anything for their dad, and I wasn't going to force them.

I feel sad for my kids, not knowing what it's like to have a father who loves them and cares about them, but I also know that they have a Father in Heaven who loves them more than they can imagine and Who is always with them. I've shared with the kids my concern that, because they don't have a father here on Earth who is involved with them, that they would have problems relating to a loving Father in Heaven, and both assure me that that isn't an issue, for which I'm thankful. But they are still missing out on so much. Unfortunately so is their biological father. My kids are blessed that they are part of a church family, that they see Godly men and husbands all around them, youth sponsors, pastors, men just trying to help be a good example for them, and I praise God for them. One day, their dad may regret what he's done, but by then, it will probably be too late.