Today is Father's Day. Our children, our culture, and our country all need real men. Men that provide and protect. Men that give 110%, that aren't afraid of responsibility, and care about others more than themselves. Men that are willing to stand up to a school board and say, "heck no you're not going to teach my kids or our community kids porn or gender change". Men that show their families they have a bold courage in times of crisis.
Jayden, Sydnie, and Lane are looking for baby kittens under a trailer.
Gals, you play a huge responsibility in our families and our culture today. Your ability to make things happen are God given and appreciated. Moms, you play an essential role in raising boys to be real men by not coddling them, not over protecting them, not making them the center of attention, and allowing them some of the adventure that God built in their DNA. Wives, you also determine whether your man succeeds or fails, by either your encouragement and affirmation, or your criticism and belittlement. However this morning I'm going to ask if it's ok to use Father's Day to focus how much we need real men.
Jackson, Ezra, and Elijah help Grandpa a couple of days a week. Below they are getting ready to mow and run the weed eater at a farm yard away from home.
Things stand or fall based on structural fortitude. This bridge in Greece was built 3000 years ago. That's 1000 years before Christ. And it is still being used today.
Steady and constant are attributes. Drainage tile is like that. It works 24/7. We could use a rain in southern Iowa however we often worry too much about our crops. I still see tiles running like this one which was just plowed in in late March. Which means we still have moisture in our soil structure. Often after a busy day I'll jump on a 4 wheeler in the evening just to unwind. This past week for fun I calculated how long it would take this tile, at this discharge rate of 25 gallon/hour, without evaporation, to finish filling the last 10 feet of this new 3 acre pond across from our home. 33 years. 😊
A fun story. Last Friday night we were staying at Henry and Karla's Holiday Inn in Sioux Center while attending Risefest. Early Saturday morning I was up in the dining area drinking coffee and having devotions when I saw this elderly couple leaving with lots of luggage, so I jumped up to help get them loaded in their rental car. They were Lawrence and Bertha from Lynden, Washington traveling to South Dakota to visit family. We enjoyed Dutch Bingo. They knew Jacki, a classmate of mine. And Howard and Bev who stayed at our home when they helped Howard's brother harvest.
I would like to wrap up on this Father's Day with three areas where Dad's need to be real men. The first is work. We need to be constant and steady like that earlier tile. We have an obligation to provide. Many times it means long hours. Not all jobs are enjoyable. God created us to be productive. We are to make our work places where our help wants to be. And feel appreciated. For older fellows retirement could mean transitioning from being productive for self to being productive for others by volunteering, etc. Thanks for the picture Andy.
The next area for a father to be a real man is family. It sounds obvious. It means being an example of serving others. It's about structural fortitude like that old bridge. It means displaying grit and gratitude. It's being tough and tender at the same time. It means cherishing your spouse like I've told many of you younger fathers. It means making your home a place where your kids love to be. It means living unoffended by occasional sarcastic remarks. Real men are responsible to make a home safe and happy.
Finally and most importantly a father's responsibility is to be someone who shows that he walks with the Lord in his personal life. Someone who loves God with his heart, soul, mind, and strength. And loves his neighbor more than himself. A real man is the spiritual leader of his family. Some of you may say I didn't really get that trait growing up, and I'm not sure I'm qualified. None of us are. That's why we ask God for help and try hard every day. Being a spiritual leader doesn't mean we just "do church". It means we teach our kids and show our grandkids what it means to be a disciple. If we get it right at home it will spread to community, and hopefully to country. Thanks for the visit and thanks for so many of your friendships.
2 comments:
ALWAYS a well presented blog that emphasizes faith, family and friends before farming. Farming takes all three!!!!
You're correct. Thank you!
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