Wednesday, March 4, 2015

A Father's Sacrifice

Sometimes fathers have to make tough sacrifices, sometimes those sacrifices have lasting impacts upon their children and all those their children encounter during life.

I can't even imagine what having to give up one of my children would do to me. I don't know that I am strong enough of a father to make the right choice when the right choice means losing the one you love.

But what about when you are the sacrifice? What about when you, as the father, are giving up everything so that your child can have life? There has to be some kind of supernatural powers at work when it comes to the love a father has for his children, because without it I'm not sure I could be a father.

Let me share a story with you that God taught me through my 5 year old son and Superman...

I grew up without a father. My dad and mom got divorced when I was around the age of six. My mother moved us to Florida from New Jersey and my father decided to stay and run the family business. He would call every Sunday to see how we were and there were vacations back and forth, but our relationship was disconnected at best. Growing up without a father physically and emotionally there was difficult. I quickly began to form my image of God through the lens of my relationship with dad; "Real, but distant and not too concerned with me."

The other night my wife and I were watching T.V. about 9pm when we heard the sound of crying coming from our five year old son's room. I went in there to see what was going on and he was sitting up in his bed balling his eyes out over something he was watching on the ipad. I asked him what was wrong and in a uncontrolable, studdering huff he said; "Daddy, it's so sad! The daddy had to send the baby away because he was going to die."

My first reaction was "What in the heck is he watching!" but as I bent down to comfort him I realized that he was watching the cartoon version of the first episode for Superman! Superman's dad, Jor-El had put baby Kal-El in a capsule to send him to earth as planet Krypton was about to be destroyed. My five year old son was crying saying; "nobody should loose their daddy. It's so sad!"

For days now I can't stop thinking about this moment. First we have a father who gives up his son and the son becomes the savior of the world! Not only that, but my five year old son was crying over loss and sacrifice. That night I told my son that I knew it was sad and that he was right, no one should have to grow up without a dad.

Our Father God never leaves us and that just like Kal-El, our Jor-El, our Father God, sent his son to earth and He, Christ, is our Savior! It is through Christ that we have access to the Father and He never leaves us or forsakes us.

God willing, my children will not grow up without a father and they will also not grow up without knowing what Father God sacrificed in His son Jesus Christ in order to always be there when we need Him in the "Crystal City" of our hearts.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."
Deuteronomy 31:6

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