Unique Fathers

     I almost forgot it was Father's Day! Being halfway around the world has a way of making the date slip from mind. The good news is I remembered in time! Looking back on this past year I see that I have grown closer to my father. Maybe separation and distance has something to do with it but I know that I talk (well as of right now it's more emailing and chatting) a lot more to my father than I ever used to. I am so glad that I have been able to further discover what a great father I have.
     The second page from my art journal is a depiction of a tree. Trees have long been a favorite subject of mine and I like them for their strength and uniqueness. By uniqueness I mean the texture of the bark, the shape and arrangement of leaves and the variance of limb structures. I remember as a child, I always drew trees with a forked trunk and a ball of 'leaves' on top. As I have grown and observed trees more, I have come to notice the detail that makes a particular tree, a tree.
     This is similar to the way I have seen my father as well. As a child, I saw him in a general way: someone who went on walks with me and played with me. As I have grown, I have come to notice the details that make my father unique. His unexpected humor, his relationship with the Lord, his love for my mother (they've been married twenty-six years!), his like for vanilla soy ice cream, or his wish that all of his children choose what's right in life. I hope that in the future both my depictions of trees and my closeness with my father continue to be better.
   Before I close there is one Father who I cannot leave out. My Heavenly Father. The Father who wants the best for all of His children. Just like my earthly father, I am still getting to know my Heavenly Father. I am noticing more details about Him all the time. His unexpected answers to prayer, His undying love for me, His never-ending forgiveness or His personal interest in every human being.
"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." (Jam 1:17 NKJ)

Especially to my father but to every father: Happy Father's Day!