By: Sister Tarpley, NDG Religion Editor
It has been said, “Any man can be a Father, but it takes a special person to be called Dad.”
How God Made A Dad: God took the strength of a mountain, the majesty of a tree, the warmth of a summer sun, the calm of a quiet sea, the generous soul of nature, the comforting arm of night, the wisdom of the ages, the power of the Eagle’s flight, the joy of a morning in the spring, the faith of a mustard seed, the patience of eternity and the depth of a family need, then God combined these qualities and when there was nothing more to add, His masterpiece was complete, so, He called it . . . Dad. –Author Unknown.
It is recorded that the idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of it while listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909 (the birth year of the National Association for The Advancement of Colored People (NAACP.)
Sonora’s father raised her after her mother died and she wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. The month of June was picked because Sonora’s father was born in June. The first Father’s Day celebration in Spokane, Washington was on the 19th of June (Juneteenth) 1910.
In 1972, President Richardson Nixon established a permanent national observation of Father’s Day to be held on the third Sunday of June.
There is a story of a veteran ranch foreman who said, “The secret of leading cattle is to never let your herd know they are being lead. Let them do everything voluntarily but always keep them moving in the right direction toward their destination.” The herd will cover plenty of miles per day while enjoying the freedom of the open range. God is this way to Christians just as a natural father is to his children. God allows room for Christians to grow and the Holy Spirit leads and guides them. A natural father will also allow room for his children to grow, mature and be independent.
A Caring Father: A caring father is one that is: “Tough yet Tender.” He must be strong, tough, bold and determined. He must stand up, speak out and tell it like it is, give positive directions and feedback to his children.
A caring father should lead by example and tell his children that the only way to succeed, be happy and content in this life is to follow our perfect example, Jesus. Jesus said that instead of holding on to our lives, we should give them to Him to gain eternal life. Instead of hating an individual for doing us wrong, we should love and pray for them.
A caring father motivates and encourages the family. He delegates and rewards, he is objective and takes actions; and with God’s help he has courage, he is decisive, dependable, has good judgment and shows enthusiasm. He also has endurance and shows initiative.
My sisters and I agree, our father, the late Lloyd David Demus, our deceased grandfathers, Deacon David N. Demus and James Baker were great role models for their families. They were God-fearing and caring fathers. My uncles, Charlie Baker and Monaque Carter, Sr. are also wonderful fathers and great role models; they still share their wisdom and love with us.
And seeing my son, Jarrell with his son, Deven, and my son-in-law, Bill with my other grandchildren, I know that are God-fearing fathers.
