From the Man of the Day ~ Fatherhood.

Originally posted June 2nd, 2014 on Lifeline Child's blog.

Being a father has been one of the most joyous, yet frustrating tasks I’ve ever attempted, much less tried to master.

The act of fathering generates such intense joy and pain.

Hearing the first giggle.

Cheering for the first steps.

Voicing the first, Dada.

Kneeling with them in prayer for the first time.

These are moments chiseled into my memory.

Children also demand more of you – of me – than we can possibly begin to give.

They wail at night, vomit at the most inconvenient times, throw tantrums at the most spectacle moments, and trash the things you might consider precious.

I imagine our Heavenly Father says the same thing of me.  One of my favorite verses is Psalm 103:8 “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love.” 

I’m so grateful that our God is one who is abundantly patient and lathers me with love and grace.  He has rescued me from all of my futile thinking and the choices that would lead me to destruction.

Embracing the role of a foster father takes this understanding to a new level.

When a new child enters the foster care system and finds safety in our home, the child often reminds me so much of what I was before God made Himself known to me.

These children walk through our door terrified, angry and consumed with their limited worlds.  They make destructive choices, exhibit annoying ticks, say painful things and hold us at a distance to shield themselves with their self-made walls.

Foster care has allowed me to grasp a new depth of the Father’s deep love, compassion and patience for me.

This challenges me to display the same love for the children He calls me to be a father to for a season.

I take their displays of pain and mistrust because they are unable to grasp that I am the safe place.

Again and again, they strive to hurt me, to push me away because they have never had a glimpse of what it is to be loved.

Yet, moment by moment, their outwards blockades, their prisons of self-preservation begin to crash. I glimpse smiles, encounter questions, and am invited into their feelings.

Then they climb in my lap for hugs and kisses, bring their report cards and painted pictures to me for approval, and as trust is slowly built, it is as if the ancient ruins of their souls begin to come to life.

All because of a God who pursued me.

On this Father’s Day, I stand in awe and praise that our Heavenly Father has rescued me and has invited me for these seasons to be a father to vulnerable children in crisis situations, as well as my sons.

~ Jamie 

This man is my hero. By the grace of God, he is a champion for vulnerable children and families in crisis. 

To be totally honest, I can't believe he's mine. 

Because of Jesus ~