This is the first Father’s Day that I won’t have a father here on this earth to celebrate or honor. I won’t get to buy a card or gift or even make a phone call.  How I miss the phone calls!  There are feelings of such emptiness. I am sure that many of you reading this have already come to this crossroads in your life and have experienced the same emotions.

In the last ten months, I have thought many times about orphans.  They must feel so alone, detached and “un-belonging.”  I am a parent, a grown adult with my own children who are grown, yet, the loss of a parent is so…

In John 14, Jesus’ compassion for his disciples is seen when He is preparing them for his death, burial, and resurrection.  Jesus let the disciples know ahead of time that He would be leaving to prepare a place for them, but would come again to get them.  His concern was that the disciples would be troubled with his absence.  “Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  The disciples did not understand the depths of what Jesus was trying to tell them.  They were perplexed and had many questions for Jesus like, Where are you going?  How will we know the way?

Jesus must have sensed the loss that they would feel when He left them because He assured the disciples that He “would not leave them orphans.”   Jesus had to have known what it felt like to be without a father.  Otherwise, He would not have said, “I will not leave you orphans.”

There are so many people today who feel lost and alone simply because they did not have a father to love them, teach them, nurture them, sacrifice for them, discipline them, or be an example for them.  This is a “fatherless” generation for sure.

I have a cousin who has been a juvenile judge for years.  He told me that nine out of ten juveniles who have to attend court do not have a father in their lives, and many do not even know who their father is.

For many, Father’s Day is not a happy occasion.  Instead, it is a bold reminder of how they have been cheated and robbed of a very necessary relationship in their life.  The emotional feelings and thoughts associated with the word “father” can be that of a roller coaster ride inside the belly of one who has experienced “fatherlessness.”  Unfortunately, too many people have not had the blessing of knowing the steadfast love of a father. Oppositely, they know feelings of disgust, rejection, abandonment, and abuse.  In addition, the void left by not having a father is relived over and over.

When one has not had a good example of an earthly father, it is difficult to understand the true love of our heavenly father.  Our heavenly father is far greater than the very best earthly father whom anyone could have.

I was one of the blessed ones who had an earthly father who displayed characteristics of our heavenly father.  Not everyone gets the privilege of experiencing this kind of father, and for that I am grateful.

Although my father is not with me now, I remember him and celebrate him for the father that he was to me.  On this Father’s Day, I give honor to my father, Bobby Smith.  Though his name is plain or common, his character was anything but ordinary as you will see in the following tribute that I wrote for his memorial service, August 30. 2014.

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Dear Daddy,

I am thankful today for you and the life that you lived.  Mere words do not adequately express my gratitude.

You were always a man who led by example; never one to boast of the things that you did for others. Your actions always spoke louder than words. You were a man of great faith who always inspired me to rise higher. I appreciated how you always had colossal vision, never bound by the four sides of a box, but you stretched higher and farther to see your vision become reality.  You did not mind walking a road that was difficult. When things were rough, you rose to the occasion, never settling for mediocrity. You did all things with excellence.

Everywhere I look, I see you. I see the evidence of things accomplished by your hands, and I see people whose lives you have touched by your presence.  Everywhere you walked, you left a trail that says, “Bobby Smith came by this way today.” You made a difference in lives and situations simply by your strength, generosity, and faith. Your willingness to take the time to sow into someone’s life changed futures and was a blessing to many. Your generous giving spirit was always seen in a variety of ways whether it was an encouraging word, sharing of garden vegetables with a neighbor, or lending a helping hand with a project. What a wonderful friend you have been to so many.

Thank you for being the Godly leader of our home as we were growing up, as well as the spiritual leader for our extended family unit as we each established families of our own. You were a genuine man of God. You are known by all for your faithfulness to God in every way. You were a man of great courage and strength, never giving in to weakness. Your character was never something that you ‘put on’ when you left your house, but was who you were. Your character was inter-woven in the tapestry of your life. The principles that you stood for were clearly defined for all to see. Never was there room for question as to which side you would stand for. Your loyalty was always to God and His word. You have been blessed abundantly for your faithfulness to Him.

Most of all, I’m just thankful that you were my dad. You have blessed my life in more ways than I even know. You were the best father that I could have ever had. My mother chose well for my sisters, my brother, and me. Your sacrificial love will forever be present in our lives.

You are no longer with us here on this earth; but we rejoice because you live in eternity now, and we will be reunited with you one day in heaven. We are saddened by the enormous crater your absence has left in our hearts, and we will greatly miss you, your love, your support and steadfastness in our lives.

You have left enormous shoes to fill as we try to follow your example of following Jesus. May we carry on with the same vigilance, strength and courage that you did. May we be the kind of heritage for you that would bless your name; I honor you today and bless your name for the husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather that you were.

You have run your race, and you have finished well – right to the end. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

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You may or may not have experienced the kind of father that I had; however, you do have the opportunity to have a wonderful and magnificent father who is God in Heaven.  He’s waiting to have fellowship and a real relationship with you.  He can be your father who will never fail you.  He can and will make up for all of the wrongs, deficiencies, and loneliness that you have had to go through.  This Father’s Day, be thankful not only for your earthly father; but also the father that you always have, your eternal Father.  He already loves you; and, He has sacrificed His only son for you.  Give Him a call this Father’s Day.  He’s looking forward to talking to you!