Yankalilla Regional News - September 2011 - Normanville Central

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Yankalilla Regional News - September 2011 - Page 28
Normanville Tennis Club
layers needed for the 2011 – 2012 season. Matches begin on October 15th for both
P juniors and seniors. For “B” grade doubles competition players of all ages and
abilities are welcome. For all junior enquiries contact Sonya Jensen on 85958231. Practice
for juniors will begin on Friday 23rd September. Any further information please contact
Coralie Law on 85582428 ah.
‘Any man can be a father. It takes
someone special to be a dad.’
W
atching the TV program, ‘The world’s strictest
parents,’ I was intrigued by the response of a
rebellious teen-ager who had flown to Jamaica to join
a very strict family for a week. They said, ‘Please call
us Mum and Dad.’ He said, ‘I cannot do that – I
vowed I’d never use the word “Dad” again.’
Dud dads have a lot to answer for. Anders Breivik
who bombed and gunned down innocent people in
the Norwegian massacre was deserted by his dad at
birth and lost all contact when he was 16. Not a good
start for a young guy!
What about all the rioting kids in Britain? Where
were their dads?
A chaplain to the infamous Pentridge Prison once
said that almost every criminal in there cursed his
father.
I remember a lad who was let down by his dad. He
said he was going interstate to find him.
I said, ‘Your Dad’s not worth it.’
The boy, with fire in his eyes, said, ‘But what you
need to know is - he’s the only father I’ll ever have.’
That’s the cold fact: we only have one Dad. Curse
him, hate him or whatever - he’s our Dad.
Good Dads
Kids crave a good Dad. Good Dads makes all the
difference. But, none are perfect.
I knew a young fellow who lost his Dad. His father
was a truck driver who deliberately drove it off the
road one day to miss an oncoming car. He was killed,
but the mother and baby in the car were spared.
Bereft of his Dad, he was left with powerful respect
for one who gave his life to save others.
Fathers can give of themselves in very constructive
ways - time, attention, affection and involvement.
Let’s invest in our kids. The dividends are high.
Dads, remember you’re the only Dad your kids will
have. Example the best of fatherhood so they will
know what good parenting is all about. We don’t
have to be heroic. It’s all about being humble and
committed.
Billy Graham said, ‘A good father is one the most
valuable assets in our society.’
To those let down: appreciate your dad gave you a
chance to live. You’re here because of him. Maybe he
was let down. Who knows what made him what he is.
Learn from his mistakes and do things better.
Forgiving a failed father helps both of you find
healing and reconciliation.
‘Our Father’
The Bible says, ‘Have we not all one Father? Did not
one God create us?’ We chose neither father nor
creator.
God is the genius of fatherhood and family. A loving
family relationship – with father, mother and children
was our maker’s intention. Children raised in such an
environment are truly blessed.
To the great detriment of society and distress of
personal well being, family life is suffering and
fatherhood, in many instances, has failed. The
strength of a nation can be measured by the health of
its families.
Family
To all who struggle with parentage, identity, failure
and disappointment, the Bible refers us to another
important relationship – the family of God.
Dud Dads
An exciting text in the Bible says: ‘How great is the
love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be
called children of God! 1 John 3:1
We can know God as ‘Father’ through Jesus, His
Son. Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.’ He
also said, ‘I and the Father are one.’ (John 14:6,
10:30)
In his famous prayer Jesus taught his disciples to
pray, ‘Our Father in heaven…’
Jesus can forgive failed fathers and help kids and
mums who struggle. He came from God to redeem
sinful man. Through him we can be adopted into the
family of God.
The rebellious kid said, ‘I vowed never to call anyone
“father” again.’ There’s a wonderful promise to
believers in the Lord Jesus Christ: ‘… but you
received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry,
"Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our
spirit that we are God's children.’ Rom 8:15-16
‘God is Spirit,’ said Jesus. True Christianity is an
inward experience of God – a new birth – a new
relationship. That is why Jesus said, ‘You must be
born again.’
Do you belong to God’s family? You can!
John Hutchinson johnhutc@bigpond.com
David Quince’s
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