A Father's Day Gift 15 Years in the Making
Fathers Matter
This past Tuesday, while on family vacation, I got to witness something beautiful that’s been 15 years in the making. Around 2008, my sister’s first husband abandoned her while pregnant with twins and a six year old daughter.
I remember thinking, “what’s she gonna do? How will she make it with 3 little kids on her own?” A while later, she ran into an old friend from HS (who took her to the prom!) and they started dating. The next year, I performed their wedding ceremony. He danced with his new daughter.
This man, now my bro-in-law, married into a ready-made family of four and became the father these kids needed. He and my sister also had another child together, a fourth. He was not able to officially adopt the three because they needed the child support from the bio father.
Once my niece turned 18, she began the process of legally changing her name to Akers, my bro-in-laws name, to honor him for being the dad she needed. He thought it was still months from being final but she pulled some strings to get it completed in time for Fathers Day.
She presented a framed certificate to him while our whole family was together. We were all in tears. This little girl could have become a man-hating angry feminist, but instead she grew up to be a godly, humble, Christian young woman who can’t wait to start a family of her own.
She wrote out the lyrics to a Kelly Clarkson song that expressed her feelings perfectly:
All I remember was his back walking away,
leaving us all in his past.
All my life I wanted him to love me.
Begged him to want me
But he didn’t want to.
You never walk away
You never forget about me
You take care of me You love me
Piece by piece you collected me up off the ground where he abandons things
Piece by piece you filled the holes that he burned in me at six years old
Fathers matter. If you had a good dad, let him know he matters. If you didn’t, put your trust in our perfect Father in heaven who will never let us down. One faithful father changed an entire family. Good fathers do that. They can make legacies that last generations.
“God’s Good Design” Going Strong!
My book dropped two weeks ago and it’s going strong. It’s still the #1 New Release in Christian Ethics. I’ve heard from a few churches that plan on bulk purchases of the book to hand out and use for classes. I’m going to be going on two podcasts this week also and will drop links to those when available.
“God’s Good Design” Spotted in the Wild
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Wow! Great Story! Thanks for sharing with us!
PS have asked everybody on my email lists to buy your fantastic book and post a review.
This should make a person's heart swell. What a good man to step up ! God will sure honor this Father. Reminds me of our son who's wife walked out on him when he had 3 children, 8,6 and 4. He married a good godly woman who loves these kids to the moon and back. She already had 3 of here own. Their blended family has molded in to one solid family !