Father
When the word ‘Father’ or ‘Dad’ is mentioned, it’s going to cause a number of different reactions.
For the lucky ones, the word ‘father’ will bring mostly good thoughts. Other people won’t have great memories. Some will have terrible memories and others of you may not know who your father is. Others of you will be sad because you may have lost your father. Some of you may want to find your father where others may not. Many people do like to find missing family members as we all need and long to belong. We’re not built to go alone – that’s why we need mates and good people around us.
Long Lost Family, ITV – Pearse
Long Lost Family, ITV – Pearse – https://youtu.be/hHuK1tswLTg (first 40 seconds, checked May 2019)
Pearse’s story is about his father but there are lots of other stories about people looking for relatives. The people looking mostly find that they find a new family, new relatives and re-connect. For so many people, they feel lost without this connection, even when they love the people around them.
Lost Son
In the Bible there’s a story about a lost son. The son decides to leave home early and take the money his dad would leave him when his dad would die (called the son’s inheritance). He goes off to another country, spends it and wastes it on parties and friends who turn out to only like him for his money. One day the son ends up eating pig food and decides to go home no matter what happens. Amazingly as he gets home, he finds his father is there waiting for him. His father runs to him, hugs him, brings him back into the home and throws a party for him. Now that is a good father!
Railway Children Video Clip
Railway Children (original version) – last 3 mins of the movie when the father returns home – https://youtu.be/PEPvfZrXWPY (checked May 2019)
The Father
There are loads of problems and pain that people face but one of them is when people don’t know who their father is or when their father has walked out or has sadly died. It can be incredibly painful. I’ve even heard gang members and gang leaders saying how they joined gangs because their father wasn’t around and it messed them up.
It can be hard to think of the perfect father but Christians believe and would say their experience is that God is the best Father. The Bible actually uses the word ‘Abba’ to talk about God which means ‘daddy’. So it’s talking about someone who is close and who cares about us massively.
OK – so what? Well Christians believe that God as a Father cares and is always ready to listen, to step in and to help us. He’ll help us deal with difficult things, he helps us deal with pain and even when we need to forgive other people. Christians believe God will he’ll guide us and show us good things to do with our time. He doesn’t want to control you, squash you and make you do things you don’t want. Instead his heart is to help you be all that you should be. You just have to ask him by saying ‘God, help!’ and mean it! What’s not to like?!
So maybe God is like the Father in our story earlier on – waiting and watching out for you. Think about it. And maybe if you’ve had a bad experience with your dad, maybe try hard to be different and do what’s right and good.