Father's Day Illustrations

Father's Day Illustrations

1. Get Rid of Dad?
2. Dusty Like You
3. Faithful to God and Us
4. Extravagant Spending
5. A Special Man
6. 5 Ways to Be a Powered Up Dad
7. Father's Day Poem
8. Grow Up Just Like You
9. Daddy Had a little Boy
10. The Story of Father's Day

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Get Rid of Dad?

submitted by Ken Board, missionary to Japan, kenboard@network.or.jp

The children begged for a hamster, and after the usual fervent vows that they alone would care for it, they got one. They named it Danny. Two months later, when Mom found herself responsible for cleaning and feeding the creature, she located a prospective new home for it. The children took the news of Danny's imminent departure quite well, though one of them remarked, "He's been around here a long time--we'll miss him."

"Yes," Mom replied, "But he's too much work for one person, and since I'm that one person, I say he goes."

Another child offered, "Well, maybe if he wouldn't eat so much and wouldn't be so messy, we could keep him."

But Mom was firm. "It's time to take Danny to his new home now," she insisted. "Go and get his cage."

With one voice and in tearful outrage the children shouted, "Danny? We thought you said Daddy!"

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Dusty Like You

submitted by Jerry L Steen - jsteen1@juno.com

At the first church that I pastored, I had the job of mixing feed to supplement my income. For a period of about two weeks, each day that I came home from work, my two boys, ages 2 and 3 would look at me, smile, and would say, "Boy, dad, you sure are dusty!" I would reply, "Yes, I sure am dusty." Then I would get cleaned up.

I didn't think too much of this until I was washing my car and saw my oldest son doing something very strange. He was picking up the gravel and stones that were in our drive and rubbing them into his pants. I asked him, "Want are you doing?" He replied, "I want to be dusty like you dad!"

I realized that if a child would look up to his father for being dusty and want to copy his father, a child could look up to his father and follow him for anything. What are you passing on to your son?

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Faith to God and Us

Submitted by Alex M. Knight Bethel UMC - Tallahassee - AKnight949@aol.com

Gayle Erwin in his personal testimony. (Erwin, Gayle D., "The Jesus Style," Word (1988) page 63)

"When I was six years old, my father was severely injured in an airplane accident and was left partially paralyzed and brain damaged. My mother then became the breadwinner of the house. Since my mother was often 'not there' as she attempted to make a living and my dad was 'not there' physically or mentally, the stage was set for family failure. But our family did not fail! Through difficult times, both parents stayed faithful to God and to us. Prayer, belief, steadfastness and love surrounded us -- money and fine homes didn't. When my father died, my two brothers and I stood in front of his casket and made the following statement to the friends who had gathered for the funeral service: "Our father did not leave a financial empire for us to carry on. Many things that a dad normally does with his sons, our was unable to do. He was unable to teach us many things that a dad normally teaches. But he did leave us something that he had. He left us with a love of God, a love for the Bible, a love for people, an understanding of worship and an inability to hate. We feel that he has left us only those things that will last. So we stand here before you as his sons and declare publicly that we will follow his God."

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Extravagant Spending

When our son Doug was little he started a hobby that would later help to pay his way through college - collecting baseball cards! Now, he was still pretty young when he asked me to start going to this baseball card show circuit with him.

One Summer I was scheduled to speak at Ocean City, New Jersey, and he begged me to go down a day early so we could catch the last day of this huge card show. We got there in time and Doug entered that large hall with all of the money that a little guy could have saved from recent chores and allowances. And as we strolled along the displays together something caught my eye, it was the baseball card I had tried so hard to get as a little boy, and I never could. You see, growing up in Chicago, my hero was the second baseman of the Chicago White Sox, Nelly Fox. He was the hero of a lot of kids. I bought tons of cards. I had the whole team but I could never get Nelly Fox. Well, there on that table was one of those very Nelly Fox cards I could never find as a kid! Doug said, "Are you going to buy it Dad?" I said, "No, it's nice to see it but I'm just going to keep looking around."

So we went our separate ways for a few minutes until I felt a tug on my pants. It was Doug looking up at me with eyes I think I'll never forget,"Here Dad, I love you," he said. He reached up and he handed me a piece of cardboard protected in plastic. It was that Nelly Fox baseball card. My son had basically spent everything he had on that gift for me. That card is on my desk right now next to me, in a big plastic protector. There are few times in my life when I have ever felt so loved as I did that moment.

Now, I could tell how much my son loved me, he showed it by how much he spent on me that day. Everything he had! You can tell how much God loves you, He spent everything He had on you! No one has ever loved you like this. Why this price tag of the shed blood of God's Son? Well, the Bible reveals the answer in these words, "... without shedding of blood there is no remission." Forgiveness means erasing our sins from God's Book. The penalty is clear, it is death. My sin can only be paid for by dying. If you've ever wondered if God really loves you, here is His overwhelming YES! He sacrificed His Son to die your eternal death penalty on the cross. He spent it all on you.

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A Special Man

by Melanie Schurr

Father's Day is fast approaching. My very wise grandmother used to say, "Anyone can have a child, but it takes a special man to be a father." I wholeheartedly agree.

Being a father is much more than performing a biological function. It is about loving and caring, guiding and sharing.

A father is the head of his family. He does this, not out of insecurity, selfishness or pride, but out of the desire to be an obedient servant to God. (Ephesians 5:22)

A father offers wise council so that he may lead his children to a path of righteousness. He is slow to anger, yet demands respect. "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; ..." Ephesians 6:1-3 (See also Genesis 18:19)

A father is strong, reliable and confident. But, a father is also tender, loving and understanding. "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: ..." Matt. 7:12 (See also Psalms 103:13)

A father is a good provider. As long as he is capable, he is willing to labor hard to provide shelter for his family, and food on the table ... "if any would not work neither should he eat"(II Thessalonians 3:10)

A father recognizes the importance of making time for those he loves. Little league baseball and dance recitals seem to be his favorite past time. "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6)

A father is not judged by how much he earns or how many material goods he provides. What does matter to his children is how well he is being a father.

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"Five Ways to Become a Powered-up Dad"

From: Dr. L. E. Brown, Jr.

Fathers pass a great many things on to their children besides the sahpe of their noses or the color of their hair. God has built into fathers the power to build a heritage. This power can be positive or negative. We can pass on anger or alcoholism, or we can transmit a godly heritage.

* DEVELOP A FATHERHOOD MISSION STATEMENT

Like a CEO without a strategic plan, a dad without a mission is unlikely to succeed. A father life mission statement will help you set prioritites that will direct your decisions and activities.

* GET INVOLVED

A mission statement isn't enough. You need a plan of action. If you've purposed to put your family ahead of business, you'll make opportunities to take the kids out for bike rides or out for ice cream, to really listen to them, and to observe their words and emotions.

* GIVE CHILDREN AFFECTION

A father's regular expressions of affection release love into their children's emotions and reassure them of his love.

* BE A ROLE MODEL

Though all parents get frustrated with children's behavior, we must realize that children mirror our conversation and actions. Father power is more effective when we change ourselves before we try to change our children.

* EQUIP CHILDREN SPIRITUALLY

By establishing the disciplines of worship, prayer, and Bible study in your own life, you'll be prepared to integrate these into teachable moments with your children.

* BLESS YOUR CHILDREN DAILY

The power of a father's blessing cannot be overestimated. This subject is dealt with extensively in Gary Smalley and John Trent's book, The Blessing.

Source: Roger Helland, "Father Power" in HOME LIFE (June 1996/50:9), pp. 24-7. Excerpted in "Current Thoughts and Trends" October 1996, p. 9.

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Father's Day Poem

From: Pastor Jerry Reed

My lovely daughter, who is now 24 and the apple of her daddy's eye, once gave me this and told me it was her favorite 'Father's Day Poem'....

Dad, Dad, Dad. The dear old worthless geezer.
Oh the fusses I have had, with that old patient teaser.
He lacks the spirit of a mouse, most anyone can 'down' him.
We let him hang around the house. Its cheaper than to drown him.

(She takes after her momma)

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Grow Up Just Like You -- A Father's Poem

There are little eyes upon you and they are watching night and day; There are little ears that quickly take in every word you say;
There are little hands all eager to do everything you do, And a little boy who's dreaming of the day he'll be like you.
You're the little fellow's idol, you're the wisest of the wise, In his little mind about you, no suspicions ever rise;
He believes in you devoutly, holds that all you say and do, He will say and do in your way when he's grown up to be like you.
There's a wide-eyed little fellow who believes you're always right, And his ears are always open and he watches day and night;
You are setting an example every day in all you do, For the little boy who's waiting to grow up to be like you.
--unknown

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"Daddy Had a Little Boy" -- A Father's Poem

Daddy had a little boy,      His soul was white as snow. He never went to Sunday School      Cause Daddy wouldn't go.
He never heard the Word of God.      That thrills the childish mind, While other children went to class,      This child was left behind.
As he grew from babe to youth,      Dad saw to his dismay, A soul that once was snowy white,      Became a dingy grey.
Realizing that his son was lost,      Dad tried to win him back. But now the soul that once was white,      Had turned an ugly black.
Dad even started back to church,      and Bible study too; He begged the preacher,      "Isn't there a thing you can do?"
The preacher tried, failed, and said      "We're just too far behind; I tried to tell you years ago,      But you would pay me no mind."
And so another soul was lost,      That once was white as snow; Sunday School would have helped,      But Daddy wouldn't go.
    - Pulpit Helps

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The Story of Fathers Day

Father's Day, contrary to popular misconception, was not established as a holiday in order to help greeting card manufacturers sell more cards. In fact when a "father's day" was first proposed there were no Father's Day cards!

Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a "father's day" in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent.

The first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane Washington. At about the same time in various towns and cities across American other people were beginning to celebrate a "father's day." In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Finally in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.

Father's Day has become a day to not only honor your father, but all men who act as a father figure. Stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, and adult male friends are all be honored on Father's Day.

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