Father’s Day, 2009!

Father’s Day 2009 may have been the greatest ever for me. A lot of exciting things happened this Father’s Day weekend: I officiated the wedding of a couple whose lives are a living presentation of God’s redemptive power; Church of the Open Door moved into our new Worship Center, and I dedicated our two newest grandbabies in the new Worship Center—Zachary James Newkirk and Amelia Joy Underwood (a few of the cutest babies on the planet!).

After church our entire extended family, minus son-in-law, Kurt (FBI dads don’t always get Father’s Day off!), sat around our patio enjoying the spectacular SoCal summer. The kids gave me some great presents (from a Motown collection to a West Point coach’s polo!), said some wonderful things to me, and we talked and laughed for a couple of hours.

The Day After

That was Sunday; this is Monday. There’s something about the day after that brings perspective.

The best part of my Father’s Day 2009 wasn’t the excitement about a wedding, our new building, the presents, or even the affirmation from my children…best part of that day, from this father’s perspective, is the best part of the day after Father’s day, and really one of the best parts of all my days—thinking this about my three adult children:

They walk with God.

Each of my children has a deep and abiding relationship with the Lord Jesus and they are raising their children to love and follow Him.

That’s what matters most. It’s not what they’re saying about me; it’s how they’re living for the Lord. It’s not what they’re buying for me; it’s the ways they’re investing in His Kingdom. It’ not about what I’ve done for them; it’s about what they’re doing and going to do for Him. And it’s not even about the joy around our patio table in this world; it’s about the joy we’ll share forever in the world to come.

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 4).