Father Figures

Ken Canfield, Ph.D., affirms fatherlessness has wounded our world. "We are acutely aware of the
impact of fatherlessness (children growing up without a father). Its scars mark our cities and
nation in ways that few maladies have. In recent years the research community has detailed and
documented the negative social outcomes associated with father absence and abuse, and their report
is alarming."

Canfield states that fatherlessness continues to be a crisis in our world today. "Yet," he says,
"this Father's Day there is a ray of goodness shining on a facet of fathering worthy of celebration.
When fathers are absent, have abandoned or even abused their esteemed role of being a dad, father
figures are emerging and standing in the fatherless chasm, providing incredible leadership."

In an article entitled, "Kids' Essays Show the Power of Father Figures," Canfield references a
project conducted by the National Center for Fathering in which the Center has asked for and
collected more than a million essays written by children about how their fathers and father figures
influence their lives. One of these essays was written by Haley, a 12th grader, about her
stepfather, Mark:

My stepfather became my father when I was eight years old. My real father had died of cancer when I
was six years old. My family was broken and needed healing. The Lord blessed us with my new
father, Mark. He was like an angel sent from God. He too had lost his father when he was young,
and he knew what my brothers and I were going through. He comforted us and gave us strength to
continue.

When I was eleven, I was diagnosed with cancer. My family was devastated; just when we thought all
of the turmoil was over, we realized it was only the beginning. The doctors decided I needed a bone
marrow transplant. My stepfather Mark was a perfect match and offered to give his bone marrow to
save my life, but a better match was found. My new father had only been a member of our family for
a few years when his love and support was put to the extreme. He stayed and took care of me as long
as time allowed before he had to return home for work. We became so close during this time that it
is impossible to describe.

A father doesn't have to be someone who is biologically related to you. It is someone who would do
anything for you and loves you with all of [his] heart and self. I pray that my father and I will
remain this close throughout all of our lives and that we will only grow closer as time passes. *

Haley's "father figure" exemplifies the kind of father that all children need: one who is selfless,
supporting, and loving.

The greatest "father figure" is God, the heavenly Father. He's really not a figure; He is the
Father. And, He is the greatest "Figure" of fatherhood that all fathers and father figures should
seek to emulate. He is supreme in the way that He loves and cares for His children.

Do you want some proof?

God loves us so much that even though we have sinned and rebelled against Him, He gave His one and
only Son to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16). On the cross, Jesus paid the price for our
sins so that we might have forgiveness and become a child of God (Ephesians 1:7; Galatians 3:26-27).

God will save, add to His family, and give eternal life to those who place their faith and trust in
Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men
(Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).
He will continue to cleanse from sin and prepare for a heavenly home those who continue to walk in
the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).

God IS the greatest Father, and He wants YOU to be His child. Won't YOU accept His offer on His
terms?

--David Sargent

* Information gleaned from "Kids' Essays Show the Power of Father Figures" by Ken Canfield, Ph.D. in
www.fathers.com.