PFOX • PO Box 510 • Reedville, VA 22539 • 804-453-4737 • www.pfox.org 1

June 2018

By Regina Griggs

T oday we honor God’s creation: man. Created in God’s image, Adam became our first earthly

father. I encourage all of you on this special day to show love to the fathers, brothers, sons, and the men in your life on this day—even if the relationships aren’t what you might call ideal.

A Dad in the home provides many benefits, but they offer a special kind of security for children of both sexes.

He teaches his daughters how to bond with girls and boys, and to

understand and respect the differences. Little girls with a loving father

learn quickly that they are Daddy’s little princess. A good Dad affirms (in many ways) that he is proud of his daughter. She looks up to him to teach her what to expect from men and how to have healthy relationships with them.

Boys need their Dad, a grandfather, or another good man in their life to teach them how to channel their testosterone-fueled energy into positive pursuits. A Dad can show a boy how to form healthy relationships and how to interact with other males. Often,

Dads teach through a shared interest in sports. Not all men like to play or even follow sports, but if their son is interested, they can study up and be able to listen and share.

They can also keep up with their boys—and girls—other interests, such as music or painting—or a quiet pursuit like fishing. There are church clubs for nearly every activity, and Dads can encourage their sons and daughters to participate and find like-minded peers to help them develop their faith walk.

Children, even adult children, are always observing us, and Dads can have

Honoring Our Fathers—and All the Men We Love

an enormous impact just by the way they carry themselves.

I watched the TV coverage of the recent summit between President Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and was interested to see how they would react to each other. Their upbringing, value systems and lifestyles are so totally different.

Hanging over their meeting was the threat of nuclear war, North Korea’s gulag with its thousands of prisoners, many of them Christians, and the country’s communist-induced poverty.

But as I watched Trump interact with Kim Jong-un (I’m not going to call him Kim, because it sounds so harmless and he is, after all, a ruthless dictator), I saw the younger man’s reaction to the older man’s behavior. Trump obviously put him at ease and elicited what appeared to be genuine warmth beyond the expected diplomatic smiles. Kim Jong-un has no living parents or grandparents. He grew up in a cold, totalitarian bubble and was taught to exert strength at all times and never show weakness—such as any warmth toward an enemy.

I had never seen the young man smile, or look relaxed and happy, until this summit. There was a telling moment when the two men reached a hallway and Kim Jong-un started to pass by. Trump gently touched him on the shoulder, guiding him to the door like a father would.

As the meeting began, and throughout the afternoon, the president reached out numerous times, shaking hands and patting the young man on the shoulder. Kim Jong-un looked unexpectedly comfortable and relaxed.

President Trump has adult children to whom he shows great affection. His fatherly ways seemed to me to spill over into his meeting with the North Korean, and it gave me hope that an actual

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relationship had bloomed that could bring about peace.

Not all children have a Dad in the home. In fact, the growing number of children without a live-in father is a key reason behind many of our social ills, from crime to school failure to sexual confusion.

But young boys and girls can benefit greatly from a fatherly relative, friend or youth pastor who will support them as they grow up and make sure they feel worthy and respected. We can’t say often enough how important Dads are, and why we need to value them and to replace some of what they offer when they aren’t available.

The current societal error of embracing gender confusion is hurting countless souls. Many young people have bought into the lie that because

they didn't have an ideal childhood they are not loved by God, and therefore can behave as badly as they want. Some do it precisely to attract God’s interest—just as children will act out to make their parents pay attention to them.

We need to come alongside all hurting people and let them know they are loved by us and by an infinitely loving Father God who is always there for them.

That Father’s love is perfect, unconditional and everlasting.

And we need to let the men in our lives know they are loved and valued more than they realize.

Happy Father’s Day!

God bless you, Regina