Peace family, Father’s Day can be hard, especially for those who are grieving.
Brazos Valley Hospice Chaplain Gary Roe says Father’s Day is a wonderful day, unless you’ve lost a father, in which case, it’s a very, very difficult day. There are numbers of ways to lose dads. We can lose them to death, relational conflict, or divorce, and all of those make a day like Father’s Day difficult.
If you’ve lost a father to death, don’t dread this holiday. Instead, use it somehow. Use it to honor your dad and to say, “thank you,” to him. Maybe light a candle in his honor, write him a letter, visit the gravesite, tell stories about him, and speak his name, because as you do and as you remember him, it will help you heal, and as you honor your father, you’re actually honoring God as well.
If you’ve lost your father due to relational conflict or perhaps he just disappeared on you somehow, there are two things that you can do this Father’s Day. Number one, forgive. I know that that’s tough, but if you’re a believer and you’re listening, Jesus Christ lives in you and he is an expert at forgiveness. He can empower you to do this. Besides, lack of forgiveness hurts only ourselves. It only takes you to forgive; you don’t need your father’s permission to do that. Just forgive.
The other things that you can do, is to go ahead, take the risk, and reach out to that estranged dad or to that dad who disappeared. Just simply call, text, or write if you have an address, and just say, “Happy Father’s Day.” it doesn’t need to be much more than that, and just that can mean a lot. There are exceptions. We live in a fallen world and if perhaps you were in an abusive relationship with your father, maybe it’s not a good idea to reach out, but seek God for wisdom about that.
The thing that I love most about Father’s Day, is that no matter how our earthly fathers were, good, not-so-good, indifferent, or terrific, we have an ultimate father in heaven who we can celebrate this Father’s Day who never leaves us, who is always there, who always loves us, and who attends every event and every significant time we will ever have in our lives, and that is good news.
Click below to hear Brazos Valley Hospice Chaplain Gary Roe chat with Peace 107’s Brian and Kat.
Here’s some more Father’s Day comfort from Chaplain Gary Roe:
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