My Man's Father's Heart

I love this man of mine. He is not a father, but he has such a father’s heart. 

The other day, my nephew had a birthday party. There was tons of water and four-year-old laughter in my sister’s backyard. Howell taught Canyon how to squirt the water soaker before the party started (which means he had half the adults in our family soaked before the kids arrived—thanks, Uncle Hal).

At one point, I look up, and he’s on the playground, pushing a kid on the swing we barely know.

A week before my dad had sent me this picture of him with my youngest nephew, Case. We had a girls night at Board and Brush, and Howell hung out with my nephews and brother-in-law. At the end of the night, I think he said he saw the same three trolls episodes 47 times. Now that’s love.

A week later, we’re in Killeen with his brother’s kids, celebrating a niece’s graduation. Anytime Howell was seated, the youngest was in his lap, and wherever he went, his nieces and nephews were not far. 

And just this week, I’ve listened to him mentor young men, encouraging them at work and counseling them about their marriages or families.

We may not have kids yet, but already God is using him as a father figure in the lives of so many. 

It reminded me of the time I learned about Having Faith in the Gap, that morning when my tears were not lady-like and my hubs pulled me to the front for prayer and a man and a woman who are now friends of ours prayed over us. And I’ll never forget—this is almost 5 years ago—the man looked at Howell and said you were created to be a father. And then he prayed for Howell’s father’s heart.

We’re still in the gap, but you know what? Time doesn’t stop while we wait for answered prayers. And God has the opportunity to impart His Father’s heart into others because of Howell’s willingness to love and invest in those relationships. 

So, Sunday is Father’s Day. If your hubs is a father, thank him for the role he plays in your kid’s life. Don’t criticize, even if you wish he’d do something different. Just thank him. 

If you're a single mom, thank the father figures God's put in your children's lives. 

And if your hubs isn’t a father yet, then speak life into those dreams and encourage him to use his gifts for other young people, the ones we get to practice on til we have our own. :)

This is the body of Christ working together to demonstrate God's heart for us, His desire that we know Him as a good Dad--the best Dad ever.