Who is your Father?

     Growing up father's day was a special day for our home. We had an awesome dad who got up every single day to go to work. Even when his body felt broken from the hard labor he rolled himself out of bed to go to work for us. He didn't just stop there though like most dad's do. When he came home he'd use the restroom have some coffee and take us to an evening of practice in one of the million sports and seasons we played. He didn't just want to make a difference in our lives but hundreds of other kids as well. He sacrificed his time to give us time that would later on make the strongest difference in our life. So you see we had a father that we wanted to celebrate each year. And I still do.

     My kids though, there father's day plays out a little different. Unfortunately I made some bad choices over the years and there biological father has as well. Because he chooses selfishness they lose out on a father. They aren't raised in the way I was raised having both mother and father, in fact all of them have expressed that they don't even know what it feels like to have a dad so they have no clue what they are missing. I hold tight to that answer when tears from my heart pour from my eyes. I so badly want them to have the kind of father I had. Someone to cry to, someone you know is your protector at night when you hear a scary sound. Someone to reassure you that you are accepted and loved when the boy you liked just crushed your heart.....

    I get angry sometimes and sometimes I cry. Why don't my children have a father? Lord why don't you make this right for them? Send them a man who will raise them better then any man ever will or even better then their father could have. I know God can do it which is why I ask and wonder. He hears me and he sees them so what's taking so long? And why do I feel as though he is not answering?

   While I have no clue what our future holds and what God's plan is I know it's better then mine. Even when our fatherless home is in an uproar because homes weren't meant to be like this I just cling to the promises of God. When the enemy and the world tells me my children will turn out wrong because of their fatherless home I fight back with the promises of God. Did you know this is what the statistics look like for a fatherless home.

              90% of homeless and runaway children

              63% of youth suicides

              85% of children who exhibit      behavioral disorders

              71% of pregnant teenagers

              80% of rapists motived          
               with displaced anger

              90% of repeat arsonists

              85% of youths in prison

              60% of repeat rapists

    Yikes that is frightening. That's what my children are up against. While some single moms like to consider themselves super heroes I always try and remember that I couldn't do this without Him. You want the truth, I hate taking our trash out. I hate worrying about yard work and I am  so sick of carrying the weight of what the man was created for.  Ans I hate it at night when I hear a scary noise and realize I am the one who has to go check it out. Seriously guys although these are things I have to do I don't like doing them.

    So what keeps me from throwing in the towel? While my kids are second in line Jesus is my answer. Do I get tempted to drink my pain away, yes! Do I get tempted to marry any Tom Dick or Harry yes. It's hard. But what keeps me in obedience to God's will is His great love for me. And you know what I trust that although my kids will have pain because of being fatherless they will learn God's love for their lives too. That great love will keep them from straying and they too will desire to be obedient to Christ. One of my favorite promises is He is Father to the Fatherless and defender of widows. So when my kids seem to be up against stupid statistics the one that shines even greater is the fact that they have a Father in heaven who makes things new. Who takes all the bad and works it out for His glory and their good. I can trust this when my heart is filled with sadness and sorrow. When I see my children hurting I can remind them who God is and His great love for each of them.

    See everyone here on earth will face troubles. Every human being will go through something that will either drive them to Christ or cause them to curse Him. As for me and my house though no matter how bad or sad we "feel" we will serve the Lord and praise His name.

    So in ending this my heart is encouraged once again to hang tight. To keep serving the Lord full heartedly because His will is far greater then mine....

    Hoping and praying that whatever you are facing today you realize God loves you and that you can trust Him. When things don't look right and sorrow fills your heart cling to Jesus friend.