Little, yet Substantial

Father’s Day was a little different for me this year. 

Firstly, my wife spoke to our church in my place. Her message dispelled lies and provided encouragement for men and fathers. She spoke from both the treasure and the poverty in the deepest parts of her soul. I and many others were moved by the truth and hope and clarity of her God-given words. Knowing that she is generally a private person and that she was nervous about speaking to adults in our Sunday morning context, I was amazed by her courage. Being a biological father of three daughters and a spiritual father to others though the gospel and through foster care, I was inspired.

Father’s Day was also the day my youngest daughter and I were scheduled to go on her 10-year-old-daddy-daughter trip. In one of his books, Bob Goff wrote about taking his children on a special daddy trip at ten years old, and it inspired me to do the same. When my oldest turned ten, she and I took a trip to Disneyland. My second born and I had a weekend in L.A. where she modeled for the Disney Store, took a chocolate-making class, and—her favorite thing of all—ordered food to our hotel room.

Now it was my youngest’s turn. She debated quite a bit, but she finally decided on going to Hana, Maui where my brother lives. We had some leftover airline money from a Covid-canceled trip last year and found some fairly cheap tickets leaving on Father’s Day. I knew that once we got to Hawaii, we could stay with my brother for free and have him show us around. So, after Brit’s message on fathering, we were off for three days of adventure.

It was interesting to watch my daughter step out on her own a bit during the trip. Yes, I was with her, but she hadn’t been on a trip without her mom or sisters before. It was just she and me, she and the big world, and she was a little nervous. When we connected with my brother and it was just my daughter and two old men (my brother and me), I watched her get a little more nervous. I think she was nervous about whether she would have fun, whether she could keep up. Not to mention being in a completely new and unknown place. But she stuck it out, and after a few tears and hugs from dad, she overcame all the nerves and started to run free.

We spent time at Koki Beach where she learned to dive under the bigger waves so she wouldn’t get washed away. She also learned how to body surf, boogie board, and surf, and she loved them all. We took her out to Hana Bay for some snorkeling. She was a little afraid of the deeper water, the unknown fishy situation, and she had some frustration getting used to the snorkel and mask. But she overcame all the fears and frustrations and enjoyed seeing the beauty of the underwater world. One day we hiked up to the Seven Sacred Pools of Ohe’o. She had to push herself physically to complete the hike and to stand under the one-hundred-foot waterfall at the end. There were a few times along the way where she seemed like she did not want to keep going, but after we reached that final waterfall, she was so pumped up that she basically ran the whole way back to the car.

During that trip we had a lot of fun. We also had a ton of hamburgers. And now we’ve walked away with unforgettable memories. I am so grateful the Lord Jesus has held me together, held my wife and I together, and held my family together so that we can experience these little (yet substantial) parts of life. I keep thinking about something that Jesus said: that if you are faithful in the little things, it will lead you to more substantial things. I am not sure if your society would look at my trip with my daughter as substantial or as any sort of pinnacle of human achievement, but I do think our God in Heaven, who has revealed Himself as a Father, looks fondly on these things.

The Apostle Paul, writing to his son-in-the-faith Timothy, emphasizes the value of a present father-figure when he says, “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” He also tells Timothy that if anyone desires the noble task of leading in the family of God, “He must handle his own affairs well, attentive to his own children and having their respect.” (It’s interesting to note that neither Paul nor Timothy had biological children)

I pray that as you read this, you will feel the full weight of your heavenly Father’s love and affection for you. He will support you when the adventure is all-new or a little daunting. I also pray that ideas will come to your mind today of how you can show someone else the full weight of your heavenly Father’s love.

All the best,

David