Father's Day lessons

If i were going to give a quick talk tonight at church...

This week i didn't get a Father's Day present. I didn't ask Mum what Dad needed/wanted, add the next instalment of his DVD series, or purchase golf paraphernalia.

This is my first Father's Day without my Dad. He lost his five year battle with cancer around seven months ago. Dad passed away as i was in the process of getting my current job.

Understandably, this Father's Day has been different.

But other events have influenced my perspective of Father's Day this year.

A fortnight before Dad died, my wife was told she was unable to conceive after we had been trying to fall pregnant for 6 months. Between the job prospect and the possibility that we couldn't have kids, this end-note can now make sense.

Fortunately, this storm cloud had a silver lining. We live in 2010 and my wife's condition isn't uncommon nor untreatable.

So, on fertility drugs, we kept trying.

And fell pregnant.

Then the day we were due to hear our babies heartbeat, we heard nothing but silence. This was my first up-front night at my new churches youth activities. Thus this post.

So, with that background... My lessons for Father's Day?

Fatherhood is a blessing. Having a father is a gift from God.

Fatherhood is a privilege, not a right. Being a father is a gift from God.