What is a father? As I was reflecting on what a Father truly is, my first instict is to turn to the dictionary. When I looked up father, the first two defintions I found were:
1- a man, who has begotten a child
2- the first person of the Trinity
Now as this is not a characteristic of who a father figure is but rather what a father is; it does tell us where we can find those characteristics. The Scriptures. It tells us as plain as day that OUR Father is the first person of the Trinity. It reminds us how in 1 Corinthians 8: 6 it states “But to us there is but one God, the Father, of who are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.”
God is our Father. Through him all things are possible. In the story of creation we are taught that man was created in likeness of the Father, we look as Heavenly Father and Jehovah does. With this in mind it is not surprising that we are also created in likeness of our earthly Fathers. As we strive to be like our Heavenly Father and obtain those heavenly characteristics, it is important to strive to be like our earthly Father's as well.
The first chraracteristic I find important is LOVE. The scriptures are filled with examples of Heavenly Father's love for us. They are also scattered with example of Father's showing love to their children. Our Father in Heaven loves us just as our earlthy fathers do.
In 1 John 3:1 we read “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed up us, that we should be called the sons of God”
In 1 John 3:1 we read “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed up us, that we should be called the sons of God”
Later on in 1 John 4: 7 we read, “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.”
Love is a God like attribute that is very prevalent in the scriptures. We know stories from the scriptures that show that Father's love their children. We have lived being told we are God's children and he loves us. Just like we have grown being told our dads love us and we are his sons or daughters.
I am fortunate enough to be blessed with not just one earthly father but two. My step- father has been in my life for so long. He IS my father. He is the man I look up to, the person I look for when I need assistance, the person who guides me and supports me. And most importantly someone who loves me. We have an unspoken rule at home that you can't leave without saying I love you. This is important because we are all verbally reminded of the love we have for each other. We often hear of the Love our Heavenly Father has for us, but it is just as important as the love our earthly fathers have too.
The next characteristic that I find important in a father figure is BEING SUPPORTIVE. What is support? To me, support is being present during a time of need regardless of action taken. This means that my dad can be there just to listen if I need him to. Perhaps he actually does take a course of action. Or gives advice. But it is him being supportive of the decisions that I make. We often find this similar to Heavenly Father's love because it is. They are closely related. However there are so many ways to be supportive.
I am fortunate enough to have a father who supports me in all that I do. He supports my life decisions. My career goals, etc. My dad and I often joke around with each other about how much he supports me. I am so very grateful for that support that about three or four years ago, I sent him this card for father's day. It said, “Dad, thanks for helping me out financially so I can focus on being an independent woman.” Although financial and other realms of support are given, it is not the one that I find most important.
That would be Spriritual Support. This course of action provided by father's is primarily done by example. Our father's show us the right way, the correct course. Heavenly Father has given us the Scriptures, the Prophets of Old and of New, and many other sources to support our spiritual development. Our earthly father's can do the same. It is my father's example living worthily and being proud to hold the Priesthood that I am most grateful for.
There are so many different scenarios that come to mind when I think of how my father has spiritual supported me. As most of you know, I have only been an official member of the church for about two years now, of course I do tell people I grew up in a Catholic/Mormon home. Dad never pushed the church on any of us. He lead by example of going to church, going to the temple when he could, he would invite the missionaries over to the house, but he never pushed. Throughout the early years of adulthood when I was in college hours from home, I struggled with finding faith, finding religion. I knew the truth was here, I knew what I was supposed to do, but at that time in my life I didn't have the support from those around me. My family lived far away and weren't there to keep me on the right track. But lucky for me dad was just a phone call away. A phone call away from the missioniaries in St. Paul, MN. One day I received a random phone call asking me if they could come visit me. I was definitely surprised. However, I invited them over and was utterly bewildred for the half hour or so that we talked since we were sitting in the common room of the dorms at a Catholic University. I asked them how they got my number and they told me they had been in contact with my dad. Good ole dad! It didn't stop there, oh no. I moved into my first house a few years later, and what did I find much to my surprise not long after? The Elder's standing on my door step. Once again my father had contacted them. However, I never felt that dad was pushing me at all. I knew that he loved me and that he wanted me to be happy.
Dad has always been a beacon of spiritual strength for me. He has never waivered in showing me the blessings that could be obtained by finding and having faith. One of the most meaningful experience Ive had occurred a few years ago. It was one of the most trying and life altering times of my life that I came up here to be with my family. It was Saturday, April 5th, 2008. I arrived to Alaska late that evening. I was a wreck, but my dad picked me up, he brushed away the tears and gave me a hug and said let's go home. We drove the hour home to Wasilla in silence since I was in no shape to talk. The next morning he invited me into to the living room to watch General Conference with him. It was one of the most meaningful experiences I can remember because he told me everything will be ok. That General Conference started one of many traditions we share. Every General Conference I will cuddle up next to him on the couch and we will watch Conference together.
That same trip, but later that week I remember him asking me if I wanted to talk to the Bishop and receive a blessing. I had no idea what in the world he was talking about but I agreed. Shortly there after, I was introduced to Bishop Hobbs. We chatted for a while. They gave me a blessing and peace and calmness over came me. I knew that there was something special about and important about what they had just done. It wasn't until a few months later when I truly learned about being worthy and having the priesthood. But I know from that experince that I am truly grateful that my father is that spritual support that I can turn to and that he holds the Priesthood.
Most recently I have been supported by my father spiritual by attending the temple with him. I love our father-daughter date nights to temple. I can feel and see the blessings that are poured upon us through this act of going together.
Another characteristic I want to share is HUMOR. Sometimes we may go through life and it seems like our dads are not very funny to us. They may think they are being funny but they are not. Or they really are and we are just blind to it. Lately I've been hearing “Get a job. Get a husband. Why haven't you given me grandkids yet?”, etc. Although humorous I know that my father loves me and that he is being patient with me to do what I need to do to accomplish these things. Sometimes we may think Heavenly Father is being funny by the challenge he puts in front of us. We often don't see the humor in something until after the fact.
When I was little we would go camping in the mountains in Colorado. It wasn't a super special camping trip because we went camping often. However this trip I will never forget because I had a loose tooth!!! Yes, a very loose, wiggling, practically falling out of my mouth tooth. Being a little girl I was too afraid to pull it out myself. It hurt and I was scared. We were driving down the road and I was complaining and I can only imagine now the thoughts going through dads mind during this whole ordeal. I got so persistent that it was hurting me and I was most likely cryign that he finally pulled the vehicle over. Found the nearest, most likely not clean, pair of pliers and came towards me. I am sure I let out a scream of sorts and he proceeded to yank that tooth out of my mouth with a set of pliers. At the time I did not find this humorous at all, but it is a memory that will always bring a smile to my face. We still get a good chuckle out of it when we remember it.
I am truly grateful for all father's I have in my life. For the love, the support, the humor, the priesthood that they hold. I am gratful for all that I have been taught and for what I will yet learn. I am grateful for my Heavenly Father, for my earthly father's, and hope that I can do all that I can to make them proud to say I am their daughter. I am reminded of a quote by an unknown author that says, “Dad your guiding hand on my shoulder will remain with me forever.”
