Fathers: Absent or Present?

Today I was standing in the back of the church where I attend and as I looked out at the group of people seated in front of me, I thought about all the fathers out there, and smiled to myself. Then I began to think of all the people I know in that group of people, and beyond, who had absent fathers growing up… in one sense or another: absent physically, emotionally, economically… yet absent, and all that they deal with each day as a result of their father’s absence.

As I stood in front of the kids that I lead on Sunday mornings… it occurred to me how the kids in front of me represented a small cross section of the kids in the world… growing up with or without fathers.

In the past year, more than ever, I have begun to realize the importance of the role of a father in a child’s life. No man is perfect, woman either for that matter… But if we bring children into the world, there comes an opportunity to respond to that child… to love and care for them in the best way we can. My prayer for fathers this year is that they choose to be present with their children, in a way that will allow the children of today to grow up with a foundation of love as opposed to a foundation of fear and pain.

Bluejake

I love this guy’s photos. He just sees things well. This one is beautiful.

Gas, Buses, Bikes, Walking… People

So as I have been out and about these days… I have seen more people walking with grocery bags in their hands… More people at the bus stops, waiting… More bikes out of the garage, with people on them. As gas prices go through the roof… I have to stop and wonder if it could actually be a good thing… as it may serve to get our society back into “community” where we actually have to interact with people on a daily basis as opposed to jumping in our cars independently. The more we choose to walk, take the bus, ride the bike, etc… the more people we may actually get to greet on the way. Maybe these prices are a blessing in disguise as we begin to re-encounter a simpler time when things weren’t as “easy”… times when we didn’t have the option of whatever we wanted at our fingertips… As much as I hate to put $4.50 a gallon in the tank… I can’t help but see the beauty of the possibilities of a simpler time re-visited… a time where people actually chose to interact… and were better for it.