I woke up this morning to 3 excited and lovely children all keen to give me their cards and pressies for fathers day. As always I was very blessed with the gifts and happy to see that my children know me so well with gifts of DVD, real ales and candles!

Fathers day, however, is one of those interesting days for me and I guess for many others, who may find the day difficult. For me it’s one of those mixture days where I am glad to be a dad, but also wish I had one to wish happy fathers day to. It is amazing on my travels how many people I come across who have a poor relationship with their dad. Some, like myself, live life knowing that their dad does not want to know them, while others struggle with the way their dad treats or has treated them. I guess you can read the same for parents generally.

Now here, as a good evangelical, I am supposed to say that it is alright, though, because my true father, God, makes up for it all. I’d like to say that’s true, and it really is to an extent. It doesn’t, however, take the pain away and I guess we are back at Psalm 23 again with God just being there in the pain.

It makes me think today, though, what a great responsibility it is to be a father, or a mother. We have the ability to shape a life for good or bad – and I am going to leave you with that incredibly scary thought!