Part 1

A Father Is a Gift
by Joanne Davis

“When you were a child, I endeavored to form your heart.”

-Lord Chesterfield

One winter night, as he peeked through a crack in the door of his young son's bedroom, a father saw his little boy get down on his knees on the cold, bare floor. “Dear Lord,” the five-year-old whispered, raising his eyes toward heaven, “I hope You're listening, 'cause I have a wish. Please let me be a good and kind man like daddy.”

Humbled by what he overheard, the father tiptoed away. That evening, before turning out the lights, he clasped his hands together and bowed his head. “Dear God,” the man said in hushed tones, “I also have a request. Please help me be the honorable father my son deserves.”

Father. Take a minute, if you will, and meditate on the word. Let it filter through your mind and sink into your consciousness. If the experience unleashes a flood of images, don't be surprised. Going back to the time that Adam raised Cain and Abel, fatherhood has been complicated. Getting a handle on it can be tricky.

For many of us, the word father transports us back to childhood, when we were small and incapable of fending for ourselves. Strong and all powerful, father was a person at the center of our world who gave us life and helped preserve it. If we wanted food, daddy put

it on the table. If we needed new clothes, his labor filled our closet. Like a periscope guiding our ship of dreams, he taught us how to reach for the stars so that, someday, we might become one.

As we grew up and ventured out into the world, dad's role expanded. Besides providing food and fancy, he showed us how to ride a bike, tie a knot, bait a hook, and pitch a tent. Teacher and mentor, coach and counselor, he was the rabid fan at every game who cheered us on until his voice gave out. When the curtain went down on the school play, nobody clapped louder. A master of sacrifice, he gave all he had and never ran dry, silently setting aside his own hopes and dreams for the good of the family, time and again putting the needs of his children before his own.

How he mounted such stamina was simple. He did it with love-and an idealistic fervor born of the desire to be the father of our prayers. Not only did he shed light on our path so that we could see our way ahead, he showed us how to stand straight and walk tall, to practice decency and spread kindness.

Perhaps his dedication was best expressed by Lord Chesterfield, who once wrote in a letter to his son, “While you were a child I endeavored to form your heart habitually to virtue and honor, before your understanding was capable of showing you their beauty and utility.”

Surely, upon receiving that letter, Lord Chesterfield's son recognized one of life's eternal truths: that a father is a gift.

Copyright © 2003 by Redbridge LLC

About the Author

Joann Davis - formerly a successful editor and now an agent, packager and writer, brings to this series a decade of experience working on bestselling inspirational projects.