Child no.1: "I wish super heroes were real"
Child no.2: "Dad's a real super hero - he lifted up our car!"
How did this come to be? Well apparently our four year old asked, "Dad can you pick up a car"? So he did, because in Tony's words, "I wanted to see if I could too!".
It still makes me laugh. Needless to say he was in a fair bit of pain for a few days after that, but the kids thought it was amazing! It became the topic of school show-and-tell presentations and conversations for months afterwards.
It doesn't quite need an act like lifting a car to be a super hero to children.
Mark Sholtez, a talented Australian singer/songwriter, wrote a song called 'Too Late for Heroes'. He asks, 'Who's gonna save me? When it's too late for heroes and the world has gone crazy'.
Our family met at the local tavern for Father's Day lunch this year. When we all get together it's hard to get a word in, but it is wonderful to observe the interactions and conversations. I especially enjoyed watching my son observe my Dad and my father-in-law as they relayed their recent events and interactions along with fond memories of distant years across the table.
Although I couldn't hear everything from where I was sitting, I loved watching their expressions as there would be quiet, serious conversation over something perhaps tragic, then roars of laughter over some funny thing that had happened to one of them. What they may or may not realize is what a valuable teaching moment that was for my teenage son who was learning 'family values' in the subtle form of observation.
These men are my heroes
These men are my heroes. They have the wisdom of years, they have a love that has provided for and helped hold our families together for now three generations, and they have a strength and endurance that has come from the faith that they have in our Lord Jesus Christ.
My brother summed it up well recently on his Facebook post when he said:
'Today I am thankful for a good father who has raised me on a solid foundation. I am thankful that the solid foundation is the God of my father. I am also thankful to my Heavenly Father for so many blessings and for entrusting me to be a father too'.
Having worked in child protection, my husband has seen the very tragic side of children growing up without fathers or with abusive, uninterested fathers. He has seen the pain of the children who have never known their fathers and never will as there is no record of them, and how they always look for some family resemblance in people to see if - maybe that could be him. These children need a hero.
Micah chapter 6 verse 8 says,
'He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
And to walk humbly with your God.'
Men and women alike can make positive changes to our nation through many ways, from their direct involvement in their own families as well as through other avenues. Micah Challenge Australia, for example, are an organization who have based their foundation on the above passage of scripture to help the poor and oppressed.
They have recently been in discussions with politicians in the endeavor to reduce poverty and child mortality nationally and internationally, read more: (www.news.com.au)
'Micah Challenge provides a gathering point and a platform where all Christians can raise their voices together to effect real change in national and international policy.' (www.micahchallenge.org.au )
I am reminded of Malachi chapter 4 verse 6: 'He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.'
Dads, you are more powerful than you know. Use your powers for good and watch the world change.
Rebecca Moore is a Press Service International voluntary Comment writer for Christian Today Australia. Rebecca and her husband Tony, have four children and live on the Sunshine Coast, Australia. She enjoys writing children's stories and is currently studying a degree in creative writing. Rebecca works as a swimming instructor and piano teacher
Rebecca Moore's previous articles may be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/rebecca-moore.html