This weekend, we celebrate Father’s Day—a time to honor the men who helped shape our lives.
My children always remember their dad, and some of my grandchildren are especially faithful to call on Father’s Day. My daughter and son usually show up with a gift, often something practical, sometimes something special. But if I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s this:
The greatest Father’s Day gift isn’t something wrapped in paper. It’s knowing you made a difference in someone’s life.
I’ve written a lot about my dad over the years, and much of it wasn’t particularly complimentary. We had our struggles. Yet as I grow older, I find myself remembering the good things—the moments that shaped me long before I understood their value.
Fishing, Falling, and Growing Up
Psalm 103:13 — “As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.”
I couldn’t have been more than five years old when Dad took my older brother, JR, and me fishing near Canton, Oklahoma.
He handed me a cane pole with a bobber and showed me how to cast. Then gave me some simple instructions.
“Watch the bobber. If it goes under, yank the pole.”
I watched.
And watched.
And watched some more.
Nothing happened.
Eventually, I wandered upstream, exploring the riverbank. Several minutes later, I turned around and saw my fishing pole sliding toward the water.
I yelled, ran for it, grabbed the pole, and with Dad’s help landed what seemed to me like the biggest bass in Oklahoma.
I don’t remember the fish’s actual size, but it was big. I just remember Dad being there. Helping me.
Another time, he took me to Canton Dam. He told me to stay on the bank while he climbed across the huge boulders below the spillway.
After what felt like an eternity to a five-year-old, I decided to follow him.
That was a mistake. I slipped and fell into deep water. Moments later, Dad was there, pulling me to safety.
Looking back, I realize fathers spend a lot of years rescuing their children—from danger, from mistakes, and sometimes from ourselves.
Adventures Along the Way
When we lived near Houston, Texas, Dad was always willing to try something new. One evening, he took the family to Galveston to catch crabs after the neighbors explained how to do it. We filled a bucket.
The problem was that Mom had no idea how to cook them.
She boiled a few; the smell filled the house, and before long, the few she cooked ended up in the trash. Dad gave the rest away to neighbors who knew exactly what to do with them.
We laughed about that story for years.
Dad also taught me to drive before I could reach the pedals. He sat me on his lap and let me steer while he worked the gas and brakes.
Later, when back problems made it difficult for him to drive, I returned the favor. By fourteen, I was driving him to service appointments throughout Oklahoma City while he stretched out in the back seat. No driver’s license, not Driver’s Ed, just instinct.
Life has a way of coming full circle.
One day, your parents teach you how to navigate the road ahead. Years later, you find yourself helping them travel theirs.
Family Trips I’ll Never Forget
Some of my favorite memories involve family trips to Colorado.
We crossed Kansas in our old Plymouth station wagon, my brother, JR, raced a new Ford sedan, leaving him in the smoke of a burned-up engine. We stopped in Rocky Ford for cantaloupes and watermelons, explored the mountains, and visited the Royal Gorge.
Back then, you could drive across the bridge. Mom wasn’t enthusiastic about that idea, so we walked instead. I was terrified. The bridge swayed beneath my feet, and I was convinced I might fall into the canyon below. I got on my knees and started crawling.
Dad simply kept moving forward. That memory reminds me of something fathers often do.
They help us cross bridges we’re afraid to walk alone.
Sometimes they do it with words. Sometimes they do it simply by going first.
Perfect fathers don’t exist. But faithful fathers leave footprints that last for generations.
The Fathers Beyond My Father
As important as my dad was, he wasn’t the only man who shaped my life.
My father-in-law, Clifford Wood, became one of the greatest examples of manhood I’ve ever known. He taught me what integrity looked like. I watched him farm, raise his family, love his wife Ermma, and treat others with respect.
Proverbs 20:7 — “The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him.”
I often saw him sitting at the dining room desk, Bible open before him, quietly reading Scripture. He taught me that faith wasn’t merely something you talked about on Sunday. It was something you lived every day.
During one particularly difficult season, our church stopped paying my salary. We were struggling financially and didn’t know what we would do.
Dad Wood stepped in.
He helped pay our bills, bought vehicles when we desperately needed transportation, and carried us through one of the hardest periods of our lives. I wanted to become the kind of man he was.
Then there was Russ Murphey.
After I gave my life to Christ, Russ became my Sunday School teacher and mentor. He invested countless hours in me. We talked late into the night, made trips to Sonic, and visited other teenagers from church together.
He wasn’t my father by blood. But he was a father figure by choice. And sometimes those are the people God places in our lives exactly when we need them most.
Honoring the Fathers in Our Lives
I still try to call my son and son-in-law on Father’s Day. Often, I send a card. This year, they’ll receive an e-card and a gift card.
Why?
Because fathers need encouragement, too. They carry burdens few people see. They make sacrifices that often go unnoticed. They worry, provide, protect, teach, and love—even when they don’t always know if they’re getting it right.
The older I get, the more I realize that perfect fathers don’t exist. But faithful fathers leave footprints that last for generations.
This Father’s Day, take a few minutes to call your dad if you can. Thank a father figure who invested in you. Encourage a young father who is trying his best. Visit someone who no longer has children at home. Tell them they are important to you. Tell them they’re still important to those they love. You might be surprised how much those words mean.
Ideas for Making Father’s Day Special
If you’re looking for ways to celebrate, consider giving Dad an experience instead of another necktie or gadget.
- Take a family bike ride.
- Go fishing together.
- Share a favorite meal.
- Attend a local concert or community event.
- Spend an afternoon telling family stories.
- Create a “chore-free” day and let him relax.
- Visit a place that holds special family memories.
The activity itself isn’t the most important thing. The time together is.
Because years from now, what Dad will remember most won’t be the gift. He’ll remember who spent the day with him.
Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers, grandfathers, mentors, pastors, coaches, teachers, and father figures who have invested in the next generation.
Thank you for making a difference.
Stay Connected
As I reflected on Father’s Day this week, I was reminded that none of us becomes who we are alone. Somewhere along the way, someone invested in us, corrected us, encouraged us, prayed for us, or simply showed up when we needed them most.
For me, that includes my father, my father-in-law, mentors like Russ Murphey, and many others who took the time to pour into my life.
Perhaps that’s one of the greatest lessons fathers teach us.
Life isn’t measured by what we accumulate. It’s measured by what we pass on.
The values we model today become the legacy others carry tomorrow.
So, this Father’s Day, celebrate the men who helped shape your journey. If possible, pick up the phone. Write a note. Share a memory. Say thank you.
Those words may mean more than you realize.
And if you’re a father, grandfather, mentor, pastor, coach, or teacher, never underestimate the impact you’re having. Someone is watching. Someone is learning. Someone is becoming because of your influence.
May God bless you and your family as you celebrate this special day.
Pulling from the Research
Research consistently shows that fathers play a vital role in a child’s emotional, social, and spiritual development. Children with engaged fathers are more likely to perform well in school, develop healthy self-esteem, and build stronger relationships throughout life.
According to the National Fatherhood Initiative, involved fathers contribute significantly to a child’s emotional well-being and long-term success. Their presence provides stability, encouragement, and a sense of security that helps children navigate life’s challenges.
The American Psychological Association notes that fathers influence far more than financial provision. Positive father involvement contributes to healthier emotional development, improved social skills, and stronger resilience during difficult times.
For Christian families, Scripture reinforces the importance of a father’s role. The ministry resources available through Focus on the Family provide practical guidance for fathers seeking to lead their homes with wisdom, love, and integrity.
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