5 Ways My Dad Fathered Me To Love Jesus--#1

1.He was home for dinner, every night.

I know my dad worked a lot when I was young. He started two different businesses and I am told he worked 60+ hours a week. He often was awake at 5 in the morning to start his day and would work until late in the evening. Even in all this, my father always prioritized spending time with my sister and me. He was always home for dinner. I have vivid memories of him coming home every night (the highlight of our day!) and eating dinner with us. After dinner, he’d spend time wrestling, playing, getting us ready for bed, read us stories, pray with us…and then the best part—tucked us in at night.

Now that I’m a parent, this time that we had with my dad was probably an hour and a half, maybe two hours. I think he would be home by 6 and we would be in bed between 7:30 and 8:00. Sometimes, he had to go back to work or finish work. Thinking about it, an hour-two hours a day isn’t really a lot of time for a father to spend with his children, especially if you think about how much time children spend with teachers, friends, etc. But even though I may have spent less time with my father then with other influences in my life, my father was able to be the most influential voice in my life because of the consistency and complete attention he gave us daily.

My dad never went "out with the guys", hung out at bars to watch sports, met friends for drinks/cigars during those times that he could be home with us (maybe he occasionally did it after we went to bed). Any men’s ministry activities he was a part of (and he was always involved other men’s lives) took place on Saturday mornings or before work. He took us everywhere he went on the weekends and whatever he was doing, we went along. If it was ministry, we went. If it was spending time with friends, we were there too. If it was a bible study, we could bring a backpack of quiet toys to play with at his feet while he participated or led it. Even times he had to work at his office on weekends, he’d bring sleeping bags, movies, and lunch and we’d get to “camp out” under his desk while he finished things up.

This wasn’t just when I was older, but I know he started this when I was very young. I know he made time with us a priority long before my memories were capable of remembering. I know this time he spent was the basis for which I was able to trust him so much as I got older and which opened the doors for him to shepherd me throughout my childhood.

Next post: 2: He initiated reading scripture, asking spiritual questions, and holding me accountable