the man of my life

Across America children from 3 to 103 are celebrating one important man. The man has a thousand different faces, comes in a variety of shapes & sizes, & may or may not have hair present on the top of his head. He is the man of a thousand faces, yet one thing can be agreed upon: he is the greatest man on earth. No one is faster, no one is stronger, & no one else can do what he does.

Have you figured out who he is?

It shouldn’t be hard considering today’s date. He’s your father. And whether you call him Dad, Pops, Daddyo, or Father, he is the most important man of your life.

I have been influenced by a multitude of men in the past 21 years, but one man stands above the rest. He’s the man of my life—he’s my dad. In my eyes, he can do no wrong (ok, so he does mess up sometimes, but I tend to overlook that), he can lift anything (including my 40 gallon tub filled to the brim with books), build anything, & you had better believe that my dad is faster, better, and stronger than your dad!

In church this morning, Pastor Wood took us to the Psalm for Fathers. Do you know what it is? Think a second . . . still can’t guess? Psalm 23.

The LORD is my shepherd: I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in still waters: He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

 I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me;

thy rod & thy staff they comfort me.

Thou prepares a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:

Thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness & mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:

& I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Pastor Wood compared our earthly fathers to our heavenly Father. He pointed out that our fathers provide for our needs, protect us from a variety of areas, comforts me in times of need, & disciplines me when I need it most.

This summer the staff choir is singing From Everlasting to Everlasting. The first line grabbed my attention today & reminded me of the love that God has for me:

As a father has compassion on his children,

So the Lord has compassion on His own . . .

I can rest confidently in my heavenly Father, just as Psalm 23 says. God the Father provides for my every need, protects me from all harm, comforts me in times of need, & disciplines me when I need it most.

He is the man of my life.