In a day when "being a man" means either you've beaten someone up, or engaged in some sort of immorality...
In a day when "male-ness" is interpreted and compromised into soft and emotional, "metro-sexual", and "in touch with their feminity"...
In a day when "fatherhood" requires no further committment than the biological donation...
In a day when "just a guy" is a valid excuse for misbehavior...
...there's my Dad.
When "a REAL man" will talk and tell you, a father will show and guide you.
When "a REAL man" will get angry and reactive, a father will help you work through it.
When "a REAL man" has to be tough at all times, a father cries over his children.
When "a REAL man" doesn't need help, a father let's you hold the flashlight anyway.
When "a REAL man" knows all the answers, a father knows that he's always learning, sometimes from the most unlikely sources.
When "a REAL man" can show you his muscles, a father understands his weaknesses.
When "a REAL man" will tell you all about his authority, a father also understands the need for THE Authority, Jesus Christ.
For those that know him, he certainly has his personality quirks. But these are the things I cherish.
I'm thankful this Father's Day that underneath the tall tales and embellished stories, is a humble man that will protect his family by day, and write poetry by night. He has commanded authority from those that abhor giving deferance, yet is a servant to the authority of Christ in all that he does.
I hope to build on the legacy that my Mother and Father have started through their reliance on Jesus Christ. Neither of you would be who and what you are without the other. So, to each of you, I say:
Happy Father's Day.