(Advice Given to a Daughter about Her Father)
My dear friend,
The problem with your father is that he is a man. Now, don’t hold that against him; God (not your Dad) decided that issue a long time ago. But since fathers are men, maybe it’s time you understood a little more about “how men think.”
First of all, men are not always the best at communicating their feelings or showing their emotions. It doesn’t mean they don’t have any, but that they guard them better than women tend to. It doesn’t mean a dad doesn’t care; he just might be unsure of how to express his emotions in a particular situation. Things get more complicated as kids become teenagers. Dynamics change and dads may find it difficult to communicate love and acceptance. Both parties just need to continue to work on good communication.
Secondly, because dads think like men, they really understand how a “young man” thinks. They know the difficult battle it is to keep one’s thoughts and life pure. Godly dads also know the enemy’s attempt to “steal, kill and destroy” (John 10:10 NIV) even their own precious sons and daughters. This makes dads very concerned for their children. This often teaches dads to pray more earnestly for their children!
Thirdly, dads can be very protective; sometimes this may “feel” very restrictive to their children. Wise dads know “God is the Big Boss on Fathering” and that every dad will answer to Him. Dads are protective because they just want their children to grow into strong, responsible adults who make good decisions throughout their lives. Godly dads know that the most important decision their children will ever make is “to make Jesus Christ Lord of their own lives.” That is why the Godly dad does everything he can in this life, in order that one day he can personally say to Jesus, “Here they are, Lord, the children that You gave me.”
Remember, only Your Heavenly Daddy is the perfect father. So the next time you get frustrated with your earthly dad, remember – he’s just a man! Then thank God for putting this very imperfect but specially-planned-for-you Dad in your life! I guarantee that if you can do that, you will start viewing your dad a little differently. I did!
With fondness,
Miss Beth
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