I have a rare quiet hour in the midst of our family celebration and am experiencing the urge to pop by real quick to share a few Father's Day musings that might resonate with you somehow.
Your father may still be very much alive and well ... or his life on this earth has come to a close, either recently or in years past.
This most certainly is a holiday laden with mixed emotions. Maybe this weekend re-ignites struggle or pain, loss or regret, anger or just plain sadness.
Or perhaps joy, gratitude, and gentle memories flood your soul.
Or a bit of both ends of the spectrum?
Wherever you find yourself, I hope there'll be some carefully chosen words here that will speak deeply into that tender fatherspace tucked somewhere in your precious heart.
In Praise of the Good Good Father
On the Necessity of Marking Unsettling Anniversaries
Sending a Letter on Wings to My Dad
Sharing Chocolate Ice Cream with Daddy
Here's Why You Should Forgive ... and 3 Surprising Reasons You Shouldn't Forget
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You guys are the absolute best!
'Love is patient, love is kind ...'
Linda
Thanks so much for this inspiration for Father's Day, Linda. My dad has been gone since 2014, and not a day goes by when I don't think about him, but especially on Father's Day.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
I hope the Lord blesses you with sweet memories this weekend, friend ...
DeleteSo true. It can be a very tough holiday for many. I know I have had rough ones in the past. I am sure that this post will be a good reminder for many.
ReplyDeleteJeanie, may this holiday be less difficult than ones in the past. I'm praying.
DeleteMy precious dad lived to be 94; I can't complain! His attentiveness, sacrificial love, self-discipline, humility, wisdom, reliability and more left an unforgettable legacy for the many who knew him. Yes, joy, gratitude, and gentle memories are what I am now privileged to enjoy!
ReplyDeleteYes, what a legacy your dad left for you and all those who loved him, Nancy. So often, we don't have a clue how our lives will impact others! He sounds like he was an incredible man ...
DeleteMay this weekend bring you joy.
My dad has been gone 41 years and I don’t have constant thoughts of him. Even though I was so attached to him (rather codependently), I can’t remember too well what having a father was like. Your blog has me reminiscing and I will read the eulogy I spoke at his funeral. This is a good thing.
ReplyDeleteBut I rejoice in my One Perfect Parent (God) and my One Perfect Brother, Jesus. God’s fatherly traits are a balm to my soul. I love every scripture that refers to God as our Father. Hallelujah!
Dear Carol, amen to 'God’s fatherly traits are a balm to my soul. I love every scripture that refers to God as our Father.' We do well to focus on His perfect parenting even as we reflect on our earthly fathers and the legacy they've left us.
DeleteIt's all grace, isn't it, friend ...
Miss you.
Wonderful tribute on Fathers' Day. Thanx.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Thank you, Victor.
DeleteThank you for this, dear friend. A few tears slipped out at church during a prayer for (and about) fathers. It was good to see adult children there with their older fathers. Made me miss my dad, but also made me thankful for all the times we sat together in church after my mom went into long-term care. Then we came home and celebrated Randy. The best dad on earth, I called him in an instagram post. And almost cried again. :-)
ReplyDeleteYou're right, friend ... it was a day with a few quiet tears here and there.
DeleteBut mostly joy and gratefulness.
Exactly.
I've had a wonderful day celebrating the great father that my husband has been to our two girls. And missing my own father. He's been gone from the earth for 11 years but his presence is still so strong with me. Good hearing from you here, Linda!
ReplyDeleteI hear you about your dad's continued presence in your life, Lisa. That realization comes at the most unexpected times, doesn't it ...
DeleteLinda, my precious dad is 90 years old. I could not have asked the the Lord for a better father. I prepared dinner and took to his house, the one I grew up in, and our family gathered with him yesterday! He has always shown me the love of our Heavenly Father! I am so thankful for His unwavering faith in God and his love for family.
ReplyDeleteFor sure, a Father's Day you'll remember always, Pam. Sounds like it was picture perfect.
DeleteWhat a blessing!
My dear dad has been gone for over 35 years and my dear hubby for going on eight. They both were so young when they passed, but I’m blessed for the time that I had with them.
ReplyDeleteLinda, thank you for your visits to my little blog. I appreciate you. Have a lovely week!
What losses you have endured, Kitty, at such a young age. And yet you see the blessings of the time you shared with these two special men.
DeleteMay God continue to pour out His peace in your life.
Father's Day is certainly a tender day. My dad was a walk-away dad. Thankful that God revealed himself as the best Father a girl could have! My husband is everything I prayed for as both a husband and a father and I certainly do enjoy the stories of those who had wonderful dads here on earth, though! What a blessing that is!
ReplyDeleteWhat a blessing God has given you, Maryleigh, in this season. Too many dads have been walk-aways, if not physically, than emotionally.
DeleteThe cost for those left behind is unspeakable.
I celebrate the beautiful way the Lord answer your prayers. Praising Him with you this morning.
I am grateful for grace that keeps my heart centered in the present with my good husband/excellent father and on the future with a growing herd of good dads as our boys marry and begin their families. I am so blessed!
ReplyDeletePraise God for healing grace which allows us to be fully present in the right now and not stuck in the past with all its baggage.
DeleteMy father has been gone 8 years in July. So this holiday has a tender area in my heart. I'm so blessed to celebrate my husband and my son who are showing what fatherhood is really about. So thankful for my heavenly father who will always be there for me.
ReplyDeleteLisa, good morning. That word, tender, keeps popping up when we talk about our relationships with our fathers. And it describes so many emotions that are delicate, a bit raw, slightly painful to the touch.
DeleteHow good to acknowledge what is true yet turn and look upward at our Heavenly Father and cherish the loved ones He is blessing us with right now.
I'm glad you're here.
Hi Linda,
ReplyDeleteI'm following your blog through my Blogger Reading List.
Sorry to hear that you lost the original subscribers from Feedburner. Maybe it's for the best that you're re-building your subscription from scratch because you'll know that the people who re-subscribe are actually interested in your posts and not bots. When I checked my subscriber list on Feedburner, most of the subscribers looked like spammy or bot e-mails!
Thanks for the visit!
You're absolutely right, Margie. Seeing the subscription snafu as an opportunity rather than a disaster has been a very good thing.
DeleteAlthough it would have been interesting to see who's been on the list in recent years!
;-}