“And he will turn the hearts of fathers to the children and the hearts of children to their fathers” Malachi 4.6a.
Since it’s approaching Father’s Day 2025 this weekend, I feel led to share a brief story that really spoke to me. A few days ago, as I was walking around the indoor track at Cooper Aerobics Center, encircling the basketball court, I observed a father working with his three girls who looked to be from 6 to 12 years of age. My second time around, he was standing next to the track. I stopped and told him how proud I was of him spending the time with his girls. I asked him if he was a ‘girl dad’. He said yes, there’s a fourth one at home. Being a ‘girl dad’ myself, I was really impressed by his interest in his daughters.
He made a further comment. Without prompting him, he said he was building self-confidence in his daughters. Wow! You could tell by his height and abilities that he was a very talented basketball player. He was using his time in what he was gifted at to build self-confidence in his girls. So, he was applying that which was fun and entertaining to not only build skills in basketball or a sport, but it transcended it into self-confidence for them for their future. That was his major purpose, not just a sport.
One other thing I noticed. The older girl was able to shoot well and do the drills that the father was teaching them. The second girl was a little further behind and the youngest girl could barely reach the goal on her shots, but that did not keep her from trying. I saw how he handled each one of them, knowing their level of development.
Time is love! He could’ve been doing many other things I am sure. But, as a responsible “abiding father”, he was there for his three daughters. Dad was modeling love and instilling self-confidence in his future generation. This is the way all of us need to approach our fatherhood. Dads, you are ‘hope dispensers’ for your children.
Use your God-given gifts to emulate this dad. And by doing so, you will be a part of God’s plan as set forth in Malachi. Do you think those girls would say that he is the greatest dad in the world? I do. Go and do likewise! HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!