Before I dive into the main content, let me express some personal sentiments to you. I
have to admit that it’s frustrating to me that I cannot write in this
blog as regularly as I would like to.
Aside from the brief blog I wrote a week ago, I haven’t written anything
in May. Life is busy. Plus, I’ve been sick; so sick in fact that I
actually missed four days of work due to a particularly nasty virus. I’m on the tail end of it now, but I was sicker
than I’ve been in years. I wanted you to know the frustration that I feel.
Anyway, as I shift gears, let me share that one
of the things that I have been doing in my limited free time is watching the TV
show “Smallville”. The show ran for ten
years, but I prefer the later seasons for several reasons. One of which is because in the latter years
Clark Kent is learning how to walk the path of life without the presence of his
Earthly father, Jonathan Kent. This is
something that I can obviously relate to.
In
an episode of the tenth season entitled “Homecoming”, Clark is confronted by a
mysterious character who shows Clark glimpses of his past, present, and future
(sort of like all of the ghosts from “A Christmas Carol” wrapped up into one individual). This strange fellow starts by showing Clark
the past. Specifically, he shows Clark
Jonathan Kent’s last moments before he passed away; an event which he calls a
“defining moment” for Clark. I know from
firsthand experience that to lose a parent is indeed a defining moment.
I
couldn’t help but think of my own father when Clark’s guide describes Jonathan
Kent’s love and devotion for Clark in this way: “We always have a choice. Your father didn’t have to care for you the
way he did, yet still he made that choice every day he was with you. He chose to be your protector, just as you’ve
chosen to be the Earth’s protector.”
Like
Jonathan Kent, my dad chose to protect me (as well as anyone else in his family).
As I continue to navigate life without
him, I can feel his absence. My dad isn’t
here to protect, love, and care for me anymore.
Because of this fact, I sometimes feel like Captain America without his shield.
Let
me make an important disclaimer: by writing like this, I’m not implying that I
never looked to God for my protection when Dad was with me. I knew that protection ultimately was from
God, not from any human being. I
embraced looking to the Lord for daily strength, help, and sustenance. And my father was more than happy about this
fact. Having stated this, the fact is,
Dad willingly chose the role of being his family’s valiant protector. He would often swoop in, like a superhero,
and save the day, as it were.
But
now that he is with Jesus, I have had to learn to look to God to father me. The Bible repeatedly speaks of how God will
be a Father to the fatherless. For
instance, in 2 Corinthians 6:18 we read, “I will be a Father to you, and you
will be my sons and daughters,” says the Lord Almighty.” This is a precious truth from the Word of
God. I can attest to you from life
experience that God will definitely father those who are fatherless!
Kevin
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