New Appreciation for Great Fathers

I've had new appreciation recently for some of the great fathers God has placed in my life. In August I had the opportunity to attend two weeks of amazing training in how to recognize and document human trafficking and modern-day slavery. While I was there, I realized how prevalent the dangers are. I saw that I could very easily have fallen into the recruiters' traps at certain vulnerable stages of my life. And I couldn't but help but think of our "adopted" African granddaughter. Beautiful, photogenic, outgoing, mature-looking, and innocent. Vulnerable. But I also learned that kids from good families and with good father relationships are not so vulnerable. And I thought of Whitney, leaning up on my husband's arm. She's always had a very close relationship with him, in a very wonderful kind of way. I always appreciated it, but never as much as now.

Then today I visited my oldest daughter Carrie's church. Her husband Bill is being sent to Afghanistan for a year right after Thanksgiving, leaving Carrie with the sole care of their seven children, all still at home. Bill shared with the church what he'd be doing on the Agri-business team with the Indiana National Guard and the elders of the church prayed for him. But before that, their church has a protracted time of singing and worship. There is an area to the side where people can dance to the Lord. There are also flags people can take and wave in praise to God in time to the music. My granddaughters are big fans of this, so as soon as they arrived, they began dancing and waving their flags. At one point I looked over. Bill was standing in the middle, his hands raised to the Lord. The girls were skipping and dancing around him in a circle, waving their flags as if he were a Maypole. It was very touching.

Later I looked over again. Bill was standing there swaying to the music, and his daughter Serena and him were just hugging one another--a long, extended hug that went through at least three songs I think. I was so touched that tears just started streaming down my cheeks. I felt like I could hardly breathe I had so many emotions washing over me. Concern--yes. That hug was a definite, "Goodbye, Daddy. I want all the hugging I can get while you are here." Sorrow--yes. Why do they send men who have seven children? Joy--most definitely. That hug was the kind that said, "Everything is right between me and my Daddy."

And I was so thankful again for both the son-in-laws God has placed in my life. Bill and Steve, our second daughter's husband, are both wonderful, involved, committed fathers who love God and love their children. I don't know why I should be so blessed to have such wonderful men in my life. I know some men have caused their women great pain, but I have to say, I have new appreciation of the great fathers in my life. It's one of the most precious gifts God could have given our granddaughters, and they will be less vulnerable to those who would want to recruit them for evil purposes because they have such fathers in their lives. Thank God.

Would you pray for Bill's safety and for Carrie and her family in the year ahead? I would deeply appreciate that.