Father's Day 2008

Wallace Swilley founder and editor of “Power Talk” providing successful solutions for understanding God’s plan for your life relationally, physically, financially and spiritually.

FATHER'S DAY PRIORITIES!

If the hearts of the fathers and the children are not turned toward one another, a curse will result (Malachi 4:5, 6, AMP).

God put in fathers the ability to prompt Him to intervene in their children's lives. This responsibility cannot and must not be ignored. 

The paternal blessing is the most valuable heritage that parents can give to their children. From early Biblical days the parental blessing was believed to be invested with a certain higher power that was ordained by God. The parental benediction was always received with reverence and awe.

Parental blessings are as old as the human race. It began with the oldest patriarchs. Throughout the Old Testament it was the usual method of transmitting divine favors. The Bible gives us an authoritative statement on parental blessing: In word and deed honor your father that his blessing may come upon you; for a father’s blessing gives a family firm roots.

There are many Scriptural instances in which a parent’s blessing is effective. Consider young Tobias. He had to undertake a long journey to collect a debt for his aged, blind father. Before departing he received the blessing of his father in these beautiful words: “May you have a good journey, may God be with you in your way, and may His Angel accompany you.” God sent the Angel Raphael, disguised as a traveler, to accompany the young man. He protected Tobias and saw that he collected the money. Tobias won the daughter of the debtor for his wife, and when he returned to his father, the father was cured of his blindness. Surely, God answered the blessing of his father.

The key to societal stability is reverence and respect for parents and their authority.

I am a product of the parental blessing.  My father blessed me and in turn from the day our sons were born I blessed them and continue to do so everyday. They are now passing the parental blessing to their children.  That is the tradition of the Swilley family

My dad has been gone about sixteen years and I still miss him.  There were times that he would come out with those “gems” of wisdom that changed my world often.  Many times I would watch as he sat and admired his children and grand children there was such pride in his eyes.  He taught me to have pride in my family.  No father could be any more proud of his sons and grandchildren than he was.

My father had three ridged rules that he raised his children by and he never faltered on them.  We had to respect God and His house, to respect our parents and our home, along with others people and their property.  He said many times I will do what is necessary to see that you do this before a policeman has to force you with a blackjack and he knew how to make believers out of his children.   

He taught me how to handle money wisely. I remember his patience, laughter, tears and his strength to endure when life gave him a hard hit.

He taught me that one of the great assets of life is your struggles.  This is where you learn who you are and discover your strengths and weaknesses.

I move delicately, yet boldly, armed with the wisdom he left me.  He taught me to be aware of my shortcomings and to take pride in my strength. He knew the difference between the boy his son was and the man he would become.  He is now among that "great cloud of witnesses" who watches us run these mortal races. I’ll miss him again this Father’s Day as I do every day.  Thanks Dad for your many blessings.

When I say my final good night I want my wife, ours sons and grand children to say he was a good father.

If you can see your father today be sure and wish him a happy Father’s Day and remind him of something that meant a lot to you growing up.  If you are not able to be with him be sure to call and do the same thing.  If he has passed away think on some of the good things he did and was

Remember life is an echo. What you send out comes back.  What you sow you reap.  What you give you get.  As a father what are you sending out that you want to reap? 

Now go have a wonderful Father's Day.  wallaceswilley@comcast.net  I look forward to hearing from you.

Wallace Swilley

PS One of the most remarkable stories I ever heard is what happened during a class graduation at a church school. The graduates were invited to come up on a stage and recite some Bible verses which they had learnt by heart.

One of the boys happened to be a cripple, a hunchback. As he started to hobble across the stage as best he could, with his terribly humped back, an older boy thoughtlessly cried out, "Hey, crip, take the pack off your back!" A forbidding hush fell on the whole audience. The little boy broke down in tears, and couldn't go on. Then, a man stood up, came on the stage, stood beside this little boy and said, "I don't know who is the smart guy who made this stupid remark but I want to tell you who this boy is. This boy is my son. And I am very proud of him, because he is mine!" And he picked him up in his arms and walked off the stage.

An amazing story on all counts. What is more amazing is that this is our story and God's story. We can understand how God could love Jesus - who wouldn't love him? He is the most handsome, the most caring of all men. What is difficult for us to understand is how can God the Father possibly love us the same way. But the good news is exactly this : in all our hunchbacked, crippled, broken, beaten condition, God stands beside us and says, "I'm proud of him; he's mine!" And He picks us up and carries us on through life.