Fathers

                The chorus of a favorite primary hymn of mine goes: “Fathers are so special with a very special love. They watch us and protect us. They guide us and direct us back to our home above.”  And I believe that to be true. Today is Father’s Day. I, like Nephi of old, was blessed with goodly parents. My Dad taught me the importance of work and always provided for me and my family. My Dad is strong and did not cry very often. One of the few times I remember him doing so was when a cousin of mine was bearing his testimony after returning home honorably from a mission to Idaho. I asked my Dad why he was crying. He answered that it was because of the change that had taken place in my cousin during the course of his mission.

                

                  Dad helped me with homework, a lot; particularly with my math homework. He would look over the chapter regarding the problems we were working on and then try to help me get the answer and understand the concepts. I remember one time when I had an assignment over Christmas break that I procrastinated to do until the day before I was scheduled to go back to school. My Dad asked me why I had waited so long to start on the project. I didn’t have a good answer but with his help, I got it done. This is just one of many examples of patience that Dad had with me.

                I love sports and that love has grown, in part, due to my Dad’s love for sports. I remember playing catch with Dad once right after he arrived home from work. We were only about 10 feet away, but I felt it necessary to throw that ball as hard as I could. Dad blocked the ball as best he could, but I knocked the lenses out of his glasses. He could have been quite angry with me, but I don’t recall that being the case.

                That song I quoted earlier has a verse about a fathers in our home, fathers in our church, and our Heavenly Father. I am grateful to have a Heavenly Father who listens to us. One day while I was pretending to be a person taught by the missionaries I was working with in the MTC, I was asked to say a prayer. I began by saying, “Heavenly Father” and stopped. In that moment of praying, although I was pretending to be someone investigating the church, I felt the power of being able to speak with my Father in Heaven. Sometimes when I forget who I am or what Heavenly Father has done for me, I remember that experience and it strengthens me.

   

             My wife and I have not yet been blessed with any children on this earth. We have had miscarriages and during the first of those, I wrote some words to our unborn child. It was a good experience for me to be able to do so. To articulate some of the feelings I had toward my unborn child. I felt such love and desire for him/her to be alright. I felt the weight of the responsibility to care for that child.  I do not know Heavenly Father’s plan for me and my wife regarding children in this life, but I do know that I love those children of mine and I look forward to the day, in this day or the next, when I get to be their Dad.

 

I know Heavenly Father loves me. I know He loves you. I hope that on this Father’s Day you remember what He has done for you.


This is a video that I enjoy about  Fathers. I hope you enjoy it as well!