Here in the United States and in many other countries, we
honor fathers on the third Sunday of June, so yesterday was a busy day of phone
calls, visits, and reminisces—yes, some sad and some happy—from coast to coast,
border to border, sea to shining sea.
Even though we should honor our parents every day, having a
special day to show our fathers how much we do love and appreciate them just
makes it all the sweeter.
Officially, Father’s Day was inaugurated in the United States
in the early 20th century. Various pocket events as early as 1907
honoring fathers have been documented.
Every man might not be a father, but I know many men who
have a Father’s Heart. What kind of man has a Father’s Heart? It is….
a firefighter battling a blaze to save a child,
a sailor braving dangerous waters to protect our waters,
a policeman patrolling the streets,
a brawny caveman who fought off marauding wolves,
a soldier marching through rain, sleet, and snow on a foreign battle field,
a farmer saving his farm against the ravages of the dust bowl,
a rancher, merchant, fisherman, doctor, cowboy, accountant, lawyer, oil worker, preacher, or lineman.
Regardless of whether that man is a father or not, he has a
Father’s Heart, and fiercely protects those weaker than he. And a child who has
been fiercely protected will love fiercely in return.
Most men are hardwired to provide for and protect children,
and not just their own, but all children. And, those of us who write Christian
fiction write about strong, brave men with a Father’s Heart.
Where do we as Christian authors find these strong, brave men that we turn into fictional heroes? We find them first in real life.
We might find that man in a newspaper story where he dove
into a raging river, or rushed into a burning building, put himself between a
child and a pack of snarling dogs, or braved a snowstorm, a mudslide, or a
tornado, to rescue a lost child.
We might find him in a Civil War letter where he poured out his longing for hearth and home while standing by his convictions and regiment.
We might find him in a history book, bravely taking his entire family to a new world in search of a better life and religious freedom.
We might find him plodding along a trail, walking, while his pregnant wife and small children ride in a prairie schooner, bound for the promised land.
And we might find him in our own husband, father, grandfathers, and brothers.
Men with a Father’s Heart, a Godly heart, the ones who are
fierce in their loyalty and love for their God, their women, and their
children, are the ones that find their way onto the page as heroes in Christian
fiction.
God bless the man who has a Father’s Heart.
Pam Hillman was born and raised on a dairy farm
in Mississippi
and spent her teenage years perched on the seat of a tractor raking hay. In
those days, her daddy couldn’t afford two cab tractors with air conditioning
and a radio, so Pam drove the Allis Chalmers 110. Even when her daddy asked her
if she wanted to bale hay, she told him she didn’t mind raking. Raking hay
doesn’t take much thought so Pam spent her time working on her tan and making
up stories in her head. Claiming Mariah is her
second novel. www.pamhillman.com
Hope everyone is enjoying the day after Father's Day. Oh yeah, it's Monday...well, let's buckle down and enjoy it anyway! :) Have a great day everyone!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the excellent comments about fathers, Pam. We need these reminders. I especially liked the Freud quote!
ReplyDeleteRebecca, that quote struck a cord with me, too. I happen to agree with him. I'd add a couple more, like love and discipline, but protection definitely is right up there with the other two.
DeleteEnjoyed your post about fathers. Excellent reminders. I miss my dad even after 16 years.He was a good man.
ReplyDeleteMartha, makes us want to go write about a good strong hero, doesn't it?
DeleteVery cool post, Pam!
ReplyDeleteCertainly you gave a wonderful tribute to Fathers. Thank-you. sharon wileygreen1(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDelete