A Father's Prayer

This was listed in my bulletin as "A Father's Prayer"

One night a father overheard his son pray, "Dear God, make me the kind of man my daddy is."

Later that night, the father prayed, "Dear God, make me the kind of man my son wants me to be."

Our children learn by example.  It is not enough to tell your child, "Do what I say, not what I do."
Good fathers, who are not perfect and make mistakes, know that they are the example of how to live your life.  Fathers have the responsibility to become the best man they can become.  They show how to love, support and forgive the mother of their children even if they are deceased, divorced, in prison, or unavailable to their children.  They live their marriage vows by placing the needs of God, their wife and their children above all else.  They value family over the acquisition of money, status, power, infidelity, deception, and fame.  They live with a strong value system and teach their family about faith, honor, honesty, loyalty, forgiveness, generosity, compassion, patriotism, and hope by the way they live their lives each and every day.

A great father tells his family frequently, "I love you."  When necessary he has the humility to say, "I'm sorry, I made a mistake."  He will then demonstrate how to make it right.  He knows how to be a partner to share responsibilities, chores, money, possessions and decision-making.  He shows how to be compassionate, accepting of the differences of others, and is open to dialog with caring, listening skills.  He is the man who is loved and respected by family, co-workers, neighbors, friends, community, and country.  A great father is great just by who he is. I thank God that we have many great fathers and have many who aspire to be great fathers.