Thus says the Lord: What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me, and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves?
Today our thoughts turn to Fathers, or Dads as many of us refer to them. It wasour privilege last month to welcome 37 Dads and over 50 children to ‘Who Let the Dads Out’. It was a great and hectic morning with huge quantities of bacon rolls and scrambled egg on offer!!
But more seriously under pinning this group is the verse from Malachi 4:5-6
‘See I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of their children to their fathers’
Fathers come in all shapes and sizes- good, bad and indifferent, but as we know they have a huge influence upon an individual or family. Some may not have had their own fathers but a substitute father, uncle, grandfather or significant male carer as a role model. These “Dads” have a profound affect upon us and we can choose to learn from them or promise ourselves that we would like to be different. So in a world where the absence of fathers is increasing we need to do all we can to support and care for male carers.
Lent is a great time to remember that whatever our earthly experiences of fathers we have a Heavenly Father who will never let us down. A father whose love wants nothing but the very best for us.
So perhaps today you might like to take a moment to think about dads and pray for their role as a Dad in family life.
Perhaps use the wonderful words of Dave Bilborough’s (b.1965) song as a prayer for today.
Abba Father, let me be
Yours and your alone.
May my will forever be
Evermore your own.
Never let my heart grow cold,
Never let me go,
Abba Father, let me be
Yours and yours alone.
Ponder… How likely are you to demand penitence from people today?
Pray… FOR OUR COMMUNITY Pray for dads, especially those who are part of our ‘Who Let the Dads Out’ group. Pray that they feel welcome and safe, and that the group becomes an important support network for them. FOR THE WORLD Pray for dads worldwide, especially those who find themselves separated from their children for periods of time, through work commitments or family circumstances. Pray that men may be empowered in their parenting roles, setting a good example for their children.
Act… Turn off the lights in the rooms that no one is using.