"Father's Day"

Homemade cards.

The 9 year old penned... crayoned:

"Dad, Dad, Dad.
I love my Dad.
Even though you get mad,
You are the #1 Dad."

The 7 year old used the letters of F-A-T-H-E-R...
is this an acrostic, I never know...
"Fantastic, Awesome, Terrific,
Hero, Excellent, Real special."
Together with:
"I love you because you take care of me."

The soon-to-be 5 year old presented a card,
with a $1.00 bill in it. I was eating breakfast
and asked if I could have all my cards
after I ate. So all complied. Presented with
the 5-year-old's card after breakfast...
the money was conspicuously missing.
I guess he decided to save it.

The 2 year old handed me a note card
with a lot of blue and green and ink pen scribbles...
but it was the raised arms and the shout out of "Happy Father's day"
that made me smile.

Treasures I will keep forever.
Tucked away in a "junk" drawer
in my dresser...
not really junk, but special things
I keep.

Loved despite who I am.
The message of "we see you fail, yet we love you anyway."
The message of "we appreciate all you do, because you love us despite when we fail."

I certainly would never claim #1 Dad status.
I'm not a hero.
I can be completely opposite of fantastic, terrific.
Some time, to my shame, I don't want to take care of their immediate needs.

And yet, that's who I have to be.

And I thank God that he alone gives me
the strength to be what I can't naturally be:
a loving father.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17